Wayne County lands $58 million turkey hatchery

WAYNE COUNTY, N.C. (WITN) - A turkey breeder is bringing 79 new jobs to an Eastern Carolina county.

Select Genetics will build a new egg hatchery and establish turkey farms in Wayne County.

In announcing the plans, Governor Roy Cooper said the company plans to invest $58 million.

Select is headquartered in Minnesota and produces more than 150 million turkey eggs annually.

It plans to consolidate its existing hatcheries into the new 100,000-square-foot climate-controlled facility on Gateway Drive, off U.S. 70. The new hatchery will have a capacity of around 55 million turkey hatching eggs per year.

A news release said salaries will exceed Wayne County’s average yearly wage of $43,882.

The state is giving the company a $75,000 grant from the One North Carolina Fund, while Wayne County plans to convey the property to the company and give up to $2,000,000 in incentives over ten years.

North Carolina ranks second in the country for turkey production.

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