A long-shuttered Iowa chicken processing plant will reopen later this year after it was purchased by Simply Essentials.
The Kansas City meat and dairy producer announced its purchase of the Cedar River Poultry plant Monday, along with plans to invest more than $30 million in facility and begin operating this fall.
The plant was previously idle for about 10 years, The Des Moines Register reports.
The deal is expected to create at least 250 new jobs in Charles City. The announcement came after the Iowa Economic Development Authority earlier this year signed off on $1 million in job-based tax incentives for Simply Essentials.
Simply Essentials, formed in 2013, developed a proprietary flax-based diet that increases Omega-3 fatty acid levels and lowers cholesterol in beef, chicken, pork and dairy.
Company officials said that the plant would be a state-of-the-art facility with "unparalleled levels of technology, efficiency, sustainability, safety and animal welfare."
"Our Charles City facility will be the industry leader for chicken produced to meet consumer desires for a healthier-raised and better-tasting product," CEO Dennis Krause said in a statement. "We are excited about this product expansion and we intend to be a solid corporate citizen to the city of Charles City and the surrounding communities.”
The company plans to partner with Prairie’s Best to develop a local network of contract growers to support the plant. CEO George Piechel called the announcement "great news for the Iowa farmers."
