A new Sanderson Farms processing plant in Palestine, Texas, is halfway through a two-year timeline for completion. The $124 million complex which consists of a feed mill, hatchery, poultry processing plant and wastewater facility, reports the Palestine Herald. The main plant and hatchery is being constructed in Anderson County and the feed mill will set up operations in nearby Freestone County.

Bob Billingsley, director of development and engineering, told the Herald, ““Everything is going just as we planned in Palestine. All the projects are on schedule.”

The main processing plant has been slightly delayed due to heavy rains, but the plant is scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2015, Billingsley said. Construction for the hatchery is on schedule, and the company is in the process of reviewing contractor bids for the feed mill. The company is also hiring people for the salaried management positions.

The plant is expected to bring more than 1,000 full-time jobs to the area, adding an annual payroll of more than $21 million to Anderson County. Billingsley said the local labor pool was one of the main factors Sanderson Farms considered when deciding where to build the new poultry processing complex.

“Before we picked Palestine, obviously we looked at a lot of different points for us, and one of those was available labor pool and the quality of people we'll get out of that labor pool,” he said. “We are extremely pleased with our job fairs and the quality of people that we've been able to identify and hire. We've been able to secure some people that are going to be very good for our company.”

Source: Palestine Herald