The Chatham County Commissioners have unanimously voted to approve an incentives package to expand the Townsend Processing Facility that will add over 700 jobs in Siler City.

In May, Mountaire Farms announced they would purchase the former Townsend Processing Facility in Siler City for renovation. The cost would be $70 million for its opening in February 2018.

In 2011, the Townsend plant closed, resulting in 550 workers being laid off.

After a presentation by Mountaire Vice President Mike Tirrell, Commissioner Walter Petty immediately made a motion to approve a local incentives package worth $2.3 million over six years.

“There’s a lot of family farms that were devastated by the Townsend closing,” said Petty. “This will help reestablish the security of some of these family farms. I think it’s good for Chatham County. I think it’s good for the farmers. I think it would be good for the employees located in the county.”

Tirrell says the entire facility is gutted at this point.

“Right now, we’re knocking down the pieces that are of no use to us,” said Tirrell. “The wires are out. The pipes are out. It’s just a concrete shell. We’re making big rocks into little rocks right now to haul away. Then, we’re going to build a state-of-the-art food processing facility in that location.”

The estimated increase for property tax revenue would be $428,903.

When Mountaire announced plans for the project in May, the original projection was for around 500 jobs to be created. Now, that’s been revised, according to Kyle Touchstone, the President of the Chatham Economic Development Corporation.

“There will be 700 new employees with $19.5 million in annual wages that they’re estimating at this point,” said Touchstone. “The analysis is showing exactly $188 million in estimated sales.”

The multiplied economic activity generated by both project’s sales, employees and salaries will bring in an additional $505,124 in estimated local tax revenue annually.

Mountaire is a Delaware-based poultry processing plant that runs a similar plant south of Fayetteville.

Related Stories
‹
Mountaire Cuts Ribbon on New Chatham County Facility
Mountaire Farms celebrated a ribbon cutting Tuesday officially opening a new $170 million processing plant in Siler City. The ribbon cutting comes nearly three years after Mountaire announced that it had acquired the former Townsend chicken processing plant, which closed in 2011 after having been a large employer in the area. Chatham County Commissioners then […]
The Morning News: Orange County's Wolf Dogs, Five Years Later
In today's news: we revisit the wolf dogs who captivated our community when they went loose in Cedar Grove five years ago.
Chatham County Roundup: Pittsboro Mayor Kyle Shipp on Affordable Housing at Chatham Park and More
Pittsboro Mayor Kyle Shipp spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Tuesday, July 14, discussing town news and events. They talked about the recent mid-July town meeting including some Parks and Rec updates, provided some new info on affordable housing at Chatham Park, and more. 
Chatham County Roundup: County Commissioner Amanda Robertson on Chantal Anniversary and NACo
Chair of the Chatham County Board of Commissioners Amanda Robertson joins 97.9 The Hill News Director Brighton McConnell on Tuesday, July 7.
Chatham County Sheriff's Office: Body of Teenage Swimmer Found After Search at Jordan Lake
A search for a missing swimmer at Jordan Lake, last seen Saturday evening, will continue into Monday morning, the Chatham County Sheriff's Office said.
2 Chatham County Schools Administrators Begin New Roles in District
A pair of Chatham County Schools administrators will be taking on new roles for the upcoming school year, the district announced Tuesday. Michelle Burton, currently the Executive Director of Secondary Education & Career and Technical Education, has been named the Deputy Chief of Student Support & Innovative Programs. Meanwhile, Carla Murray, currently the district’s Executive […]
A Pipeline Company Says It Will Protect the Environment in North Carolina. Its Record in Tennessee Says Otherwise.
Federal records show Chatham residents’ concerns about Enbridge’s environmental performance are valid. Over the past seven months, an Enbridge subsidiary has amassed a dozen non-compliance events related to its Ridgeline Expansion Project in central Tennessee.
Chatham County Roundup: "On The Porch" Host Randy Voller
Former Pittsboro Mayor, Real Estate Developer, and "On The Porch" host Randy Voller spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Wednesday, June 24. He discussed a recent trip to Washington, D.C.  with the Association of Realtors. He discussed the current state of the real estate market in the area, talked about the implications of a proposed pipeline in Chatham County, and more.
Chatham County Roundup: Pittsboro Mayor Kyle Shipp on Tri River Water, More
Pittsboro Mayor Kyle Shipp spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Tuesday, June 23, discussing town news and events. They discussed the recent meeting of the board with county commissioners and boards from other towns in the county. He also gave an update on Tri River Water, talked about downtown planning, and more.
Refuel Prepares to Open Renovated Chapel Hill Location; Will Feature New Local Mural
Refuel will celebrate the reopening of a newly renovated gas station, featuring a new mural, in Chapel Hill on Saturday, June 27 at 11 a.m.
›