ARCADIA, La. – Construction is set to begin on a new feed mill for House of Raeford Farms’ poultry processing complex in Arcadia, Louisiana. Simsboro in Lincoln Parish, Louisiana, will be the site and the project is expected to cost $40 million.

Construction of the feed mill will take 18 months to two years and, when operational, will have the capacity to produce 12,500 tons of feed per week which is double the capacity of the current feed mill, the company said. House of Raeford also intends to make building modifications and add new equipment to a hatchery in Gibsland, Louisiana, and the poultry processing plant in Arcadia at a cost of $7 million. The company expects to create 100 new jobs in addition to contracts for 86 new poultry houses over the next two years. The economic impact on the northwest Louisiana community is an estimated $28 million.

“House of Raeford is committed to our operations in Louisiana as evidenced by these major capital expenditures and planned employment increases,” said Bob Johnson, CEO of the family-owned and operated company. “In keeping with the growth objectives of our company, our Louisiana complex is also the first of our locations to offer No Antibiotics Ever chicken products to our customers.”

Capital improvements at other House of Raeford facilities include a complete rebuild of the company’s Wallace, North Carolina, processing facility which re-opened in 2018, and major equipment and facility improvements at the company’s Greenville and Hemingway, South Carolina, locations.