Governor Roy Cooper’s office announced a supplier for Butterball turkey will bring jobs and make a major investment in Goldsboro.
Select Genetics said it would create 26 jobs in Wayne County and plans to invest $58 million to build a new turkey egg hatchery and establish turkey farms in Goldsboro.
“Our farming legacy continues to attract innovative agriculture companies,” said Governor Cooper. “North Carolina’s $95 billion agriculture and agribusiness economy continues to evolve and grow, creating more opportunities for our hardworking and skilled workforce.”
Select Genetics, a supplier for Butterball, has been in the turkey raising business for 80 years. The company is headquartered in Minnesota with farms and hatcheries across the country.
According to the Governor’s office, the company provides high-quality turkey eggs and day-old poults to its customers, including independent farmers and well-known premium brands such as Butterball.
The governor’s office said the expansion would consolidate the company’s existing hatcheries into a new 100,000-square-foot climate-controlled facility, while adding new turkey farms in Goldsboro.
“I am excited that we chose Wayne County for our new state-of-the-art turkey hatchery, which will be a great asset for our customers and the community,” said J. Douglas, CEO of Select Genetics. “Our team of experts has carefully designed the hatchery to utilize the latest hatching technology which represents our ongoing commitment for hatching the best poult quality. With a production capacity of about 55 million turkey hatching eggs per year, this new hatchery will be a major poult supplier for North Carolina and neighboring states.”
Salaries for farm crew, specialists, and managers will vary by position. The company claims their overall average annual wage will exceed Wayne County’s average annual wage of $43,882. The new jobs will reportedly have a potential annual payroll impact of more than $1.1 million for the region.
“North Carolina ranks second in the nation for turkey production, making it a great fit for Select Genetics,” said N.C. Commerce Secretary Machelle Baker Sanders. “As a state, we will continue cultivating strong economic and workforce development strategies and a research infrastructure that is dedicated to innovating the agriculture industry in our state.”
Select Genetics will be helped with a performance-based grant of $75,000 from the One North Carolina Fund. The fund provides financial assistance to local governments to help attract economic investment and create jobs. Cooper’s office said companies receive no money upfront and must meet job creation and capital investment targets to qualify for payment. The grant must be matched by local governments.
