COLUMBIA — Cobb-Vantress Inc., a leading poultry research and development firm and subsidiary of Tyson Foods Inc., will begin construction on a new feed mill in Laurens County with completion planned toward the middle of 2017.
The $22 million investment is expected to create about 12 new jobs in Joanna.
“Always good to have a new business locate in Laurens County. We welcome you,” said Joe Wood, chairman of the Laurens County Council.
Laurens County Development Corporation Chairman Stan Bryson echoed Wood’s sentiments.
“Agri-business has long been a stable of the South Carolina economy as well as Laurens County’s,” he said. “Cobb-Vantress’ investment in our community further illustrates just how important agriculture is to our State and Community. We welcome them to Laurens County and look forward to a long and prosperous relationship.”
The state-of-the-art mill will supply feed to Cobb’s grandparent breeder farms in North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia, as well as a great-grandparent farm in Georgia.
“We want to ensure that we have a long-term internal feed supply that will give us complete control over the consistency and quality of the end product. This is Cobb’s third feed mill in the U.S., the others being in Siloam Springs, Arkansas, and in Albany, Kentucky,” said Dr. Steve Bolden, director of World Technical Services for Cobb-Vantress Inc. “With the completion of the Joanna feed mill, we will internally produce all of our feed supply for pedigree operations through to grandparents.”
Gov. Nikki Haley said the announcement was a reason to celebrate.
“It’s always exciting to see a company make the decision to invest and create jobs in one of our rural communities. Cobb-Vantress’ $22 million investment further proves what we have known for a long time – that the Team South Carolina approach to building an elite workforce and a competitive business environment is working, and that’s a reason to celebrate across the state,” said Haley.
Based on current needs, the mill will produce around 1,200 tons per week using the latest technology for pathogen reduction including a “hygieniser” for heat treating the feed ingredients before pelleting. Additionally, environmental controls will regulate air flow to prevent cross contamination.
“The Palmetto State has long been known as a leader in the food processing and distribution industries and today’s announcement only adds to that rich tradition,” Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt said. “We welcome Cobb-Vantress to South Carolina and look forward to watching them succeed here for many years to come.”
S.C. Commissioner of Agriculture Hugh Weathers said the business will add value to the poultry industry.
“We are proud that Cobb-Vantress has chosen to locate its feed mill in South Carolina. Not only will the mill provide more jobs for a rural area, it will also add value to the poultry industry, our top agricultural commodity, and increase marketing opportunities for corn and soybean farmers,” he said.
Another important feature will be a dedicated rail spur in order for supplies to be transported from other production regions in the US. Grain may also be used from the local market for delivery by truck.
Those interested in joining the Cobb-Vantress team, should visit the company’s careers page online. For more information on Cobb-Vantress, Inc. visit www.cobb-vantress.com.
Cobb-Vantress, Inc. is a poultry research and development company engaged in the production improvement and sale of broiler breeding stock. Cobb is the world’s oldest pedigree broiler breeding company.
Founded in 1916, Cobb has grown into one of the world’s leading suppliers of broiler breeding stock with distribution into over 120 countries.
Cobb has contributed to the dynamic efficiency and growth of an industry that has transformed chicken into an economically affordable healthy protein source for many of the over seven billion people in the world.