Company Sells Poultry Plant Shuttered by Fire

Brakebush plans to restore the 72,000-square-foot facility with new processing equipment and three production lines.

Brakebush Brothers Line 9 Lead Alicia Krueger takes tour groups through the expanded Westfield chicken processing plant in December 2017.
Brakebush Brothers Line 9 Lead Alicia Krueger takes tour groups through the expanded Westfield chicken processing plant in December 2017.
Madison.com, @madisondotcom

MOCKSVILLE, N.C. (AP) — A poultry company has sold a chicken-processing plant to a longtime customer, months after a fire damaged the central portion of the North Carolina facility.

The Winston-Salem Journal reports the Davie County Economic Development Commission announced Tuesday that the Wisconsin-based Brakebush Brothers Inc. purchased the Mocksville plant from House of Raeford Farms, becoming the third owner in seven years.


Production at the plant has been halted since the mid-December fire. Brakebush plans to restore the 72,000-square-foot facility with new processing equipment and three production lines, with the goal of resuming full operational status by next spring.

Brakebush says it plans to retain most of the House of Raeford management, administrative and hourly staff. House of Raeford is expected to continue paying employees' salaries through the one-year anniversary of the fire.

More