Turkey breeder to invest $58 million in Goldsboro

GOLDSBORO — Select Genetics, a turkey breeder, will create 26 jobs in Wayne County, Gov. Roy Cooper announced recently. The company will invest $58 million to build a new turkey egg hatchery and establish turkey farms in Goldsboro. Wayne County was a key partner in the project.

“Our farming legacy continues to attract innovative agriculture companies,” Cooper said. “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 has an 80-year history in the turkey breeding and hatching industry, providing high-quality turkey eggs and day-old poults to its customers, including independent farmers and well-known premium brands such as Butterball. The company is headquartered in Minnesota with farms and hatcheries across the nation that produce more than 150 million turkey eggs annually. This expansion will 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 Jihad 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, with the overall average annual wage exceeding Wayne County’s average annual wage of $43,882. These new jobs will 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.”

A performance-based grant of $75,000 from the One North Carolina Fund will help with Select Genetics’ location in North Carolina. The One N.C. Fund provides financial assistance to local governments to help attract economic investment and create jobs. Companies receive no money upfront and must meet job creation and capital investment targets to qualify for payment. All One N.C. grants require matching participation from local governments and any award is contingent upon that condition being met.

“This is outstanding news for Wayne County and the entire state,” said N.C. Representative John R. Bell IV. “Select Genetics’ decision to locate to our community is yet another indicator that North Carolina is the best place to do business.”

In addition to the North Carolina Department of Commerce and Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, other partners in this project include the North Carolina General Assembly, North Carolina Department of Agriculture, North Carolina Community College System, Wayne Community College, North Carolina Global TransPark Economic Development Region, Wayne County Development Alliance, North Carolina’s Southeast, City of Goldsboro and Duke Energy.

— From the Wayne County website