Winesburg, Ohio: December 10, 2019 –– Case Farms, a local poultry farming and processing group, cited local reliable workforce as a major reason for their new Ohio expansion. The company is working to expand and renovate its Winesburg facility (located in Holmes County) to process more poultry, adding 144 new jobs. The expansion represents a capital investment of more than $100 million and the new payroll to be created is valued at $5.3 million.
Employees of the Winesburg facility currently spans five counties: Holmes, Wayne, Tuscarawas, Stark and Summit. Considering either North Carolina or Ohio for the expansion, they ultimately chose Ohio due to their current reliable workforce, as well as incentive offers by the state and local governments.
“We chose Ohio for the expansion due to the reliable workforce that exists in Holmes County and its surrounding areas and the growing customer demand to expand our presence in Ohio,” said Mike Popowycz, Vice Chairman and CFO, Case Farms. “Case Farms is very excited to help create more jobs within the great state of Ohio and are very appreciative of the support from JobsOhio and the governments and communities in Winesburg, Holmes County and other surrounding areas. Without them, this project would not be possible.”
Founded in 1986 by Thomas R. Shelton, Case Farms now processes more than 3.3 million birds per week. With various locations in Ohio and North Carolina, Case Farms not only offers consumers quality poultry but helps keep the local economy strong.
“We were thrilled when we learned that Case Farms was considering Holmes County for its expansion project,” said Mark Leininger, executive director of the Holmes County Economic Development Council. “The project is unmatched, in terms of job creation and capital investment, and it will undoubtedly have a significant impact on our local economy. Holmes County truly appreciated the support it received from our partners at APEG and JobsOhio. It was a pleasure working with Ed Looman, Brodie Lepi and Joe Needham on this project.”
A real estate tax abatement was approved by the county; the abatement represents a $2.3 million savings for Case Farms over 10 years. In addition, Case is receiving a $1 million JobsOhio grant and a $400,000 Job Creation Tax Credit from the state. All will help with the expansion efforts of their current facility.
“Case Farms is an example of an agribusiness company choosing to invest in Ohio and continuing to grow here,” said Dana Saucier, JobsOhio vice president and head of economic development. “This expansion solidifies Case Farms’ presence in Ohio and brings 144 new jobs to Holmes County.”
“This is a huge win for Holmes County and the state of Ohio,” said Ed Looman, Eastern Ohio project manager for APEG. “It’s another example of economic development teamwork making a positive impact. Holmes County and Ohio worked together and put together an attractive package for Case Farms. I’m proud to have played a small role in bringing new jobs to our region.”
