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Turkey hatchery announcement grows Indiana’s poultry industry

Indiana’s turkey industry is getting a big boost.  Select Genetics, a supplier of commercial turkey genetics, has announced plans to locate its new hatchery in Vigo County, Ind.

Indiana State Director of Agriculture Ted McKinney says the announcement adds to the diversity of Indiana agriculture.  “We’ve been very  – but I think this continues that upward trend of turkeys.  From hatchery now to production and you can’t ignore the end of that line which is the Boar’s Head facility over in New Castle.”

He tells Brownfield the new operation will also add jobs to rural Indiana.  “Anytime we can bring jobs – particularly a company with 100 jobs to a slightly more rural county, is a good thing,” he says.  “In this case it comes to county that wanted it, fought for it aggressively, and needed it.”

The Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) offered Select Genetics up to $400,000 in conditional tax credits and up to $150,000 in training grants based on the company’s job creation plans.  McKinney says the incentives are performance-based and until Hoosiers are hired the company isn’t eligible to claim the incentives.

Select Genetics will invest 22-million-dollars to build and equip a new 83,000-square-foot facility in Terre Haute (tear-uh hote).  The company will break ground on its ninth facility in April and plans to begin production in the spring of 2018.

Select Genetics is a new company that was established this week when Aviagen and Willmar Poultry merged.  It will supply commercial genetics to the turkey industry. Aviagen is the majority owner of Select Genetics, which was formed through the merger of Valley of the Moon Commercial Poults (VOMCP) and Willmar Poultry/Ag Forte.

AUDIO: Ted McKinney on Select Genetics announcement