Future Sanderson Farms plant annexed by City of Palestine, Texas

The land that includes Sanderson Farms’ future big bird deboning plant in Palestine, Texas, has been annexed by the City of Palestine. The city council recently approved a motion to annex the land during a city council meeting, where the measure passed 5-0.
With the motion approved, the city puts Sanderson Farms onto its tax rolls, and puts the plant under city jurisdiction and building regulations, according to a report from the Palestine Herald-Press.
City Manager Wendy Ellis informed the council members that construction on the plant is scheduled to conclude on December 15.
During Sanderson Farms Investor Day 2014, held in October, Lampkin Butts, Sanderson Farms president and chief operating officer, said the plant will have 1,000 hourly employees and 75 salaried employees when it is fully staffed. The first birds will arrive at the plant on February 9, 2015, said Butts.
The process to hire new employees has already started.
The new Sanderson Farms plant will sell its products in Texas and in states west of Texas, and much of the dark meat processed there will be exported to Mexico. Joe Sanderson Jr., CEO of Sanderson Farms, has stated that when the plant is fully operational, it will add 15 percent capacity to the company.