OAKWOOD, Ga. — Wayne-Sanderson Farms, one of the nation’s major poultry producers, announces the acquisition of a fellow Georgia company — Harrison Poultry.
While being a private transaction, with no financial details disclosed, the companies note that the sale is effective immediately, with all of Harrison Poultry’s assets immediately transferred following the transaction’s closure.
“We are proud to welcome the Harrison Poultry team into the Wayne-Sanderson Farms family,” Kevin McDaniel, Wayne-Sanderson Farms president and CEO, said in the announcement. “We are well matched. Wayne-Sanderson Farms is known for quality people, quality farm partners and quality products, and so is Harrison Poultry. We expect the transition to be practically seamless.”
Wayne-Sanderson Farms will begin incorporating all of Harrison’s live production, hatchery, feed mill, production, and transportation into its operations. Harrison Poultry operates a processing facility and hatchery in Bethlehem, Ga., and a feed mill in Crawfordville, Ga., and company officials expect minimal disruption to day-to-day operations. Harrison produces a range of traditional, international and halal chicken products. The company adds that it has more than 100 family farming partners.
Harrison Poultry was founded in 1958 by R. Harold Harrison, a “visionary and early adopter of integrated poultry management, grew Harrison Poultry successfully throughout his life,” the announcement noted. “The family has continued to grow the company in the years since his passing, investing millions into the rural Georgia economy.”
“On behalf of the family of Mr. Harrison, I want to thank everyone involved in making Harrison Poultry the successful company that it is today,” Jim Skidmore, Harrison Poultry president and CEO, said. “Our primary focus with this transaction from the start has been making sure this was right for our people, our farmers, and our customers. With Wayne-Sanderson Farms, we found the right partner to build on the legacy that Mr. Harrison left.”
This transaction began after Wayne-Sanderson began analyzing company growth initiatives earlier this year.
“The two companies have complementary offerings and began negotiations to finalize the sale after thorough analysis to ensure that respective operations and workplace cultures would be a good fit,” Wayne-Sanderson Farms said.
Harrison Poultry employs more than 1,000, producing approximately 400 million pounds of poultry every year, with its Golden Goodness, Pollo Eldorado and Al Marwah product labels.
Wayne-Sanderson Farms, the nation’s third-largest poultry producer, employs more than 27,000, has more than 2,000 farm partners, and owns and operates 24 fresh and further-processing facilities in the southern U.S.
