After two years of intensive repairs and renovation, Brakebush Brothers has reopened a former House of Raeford chicken processing plant in Mocksville, N.C.

Brakebush has upgraded the facility with state-of-the-art production equipment and has expanded it from 72,000 to 110,000 sq. ft. The updated facility will accommodate three production lines with three shifts and will employ more than 300 team members when fully operational. The initial production capacity will be 90 million lb. of chicken annually, which will increase as lines are added.

In order for the town of Mocksville to accommodate the significant increase in wastewater from the Brakebush facility, the town would need to install a pump station and a force main sewer line consisting of two 400 gal.-per-minute submersible pumps and 9,100 linear feet of 8 in. line for main. An additional 1,800 linear feet of new 12 in. water line were also needed to augment the single 12 in. water line to the facility. The North Carolina Rural Infrastructure Authority has awarded the town of Mocksville a $2 million Community Development Block Grant to support the needed improvements.

“We are happy for Mocksville and Davie County to get these dollars to facilitate expansion,” said Carey Brakebush, vice president of facilities and transportation for Brakebush Brothers. “Brakebush is thrilled to be in Mocksville and looking forward to what it brings for our company and the community.”

The Golden LEAF Foundation also provided the town with an additional $450,000 utility infrastructure grant for the project, and the North Carolina Department of Transportation approved $700,000 in road improvements to alleviate any traffic concerns related to the plant’s expansion.

“Brakebush Brothers have proven to be a great corporate citizen, and we are proud that they have chosen Mocksville for their latest expansion,” Mocksville town manager Matt Settlemyer said. “We are pleased that the town of Mocksville, Davie County, the [Economic Development Corp.] and the state of North Carolina continue to work collectively to improve the area’s utility infrastructure and to provide economic opportunities to our local community.”