Scotland County, North Carolina, has been awarded a $1,350,000 grant to support the construction of 18,932 linear feet of rail siding to benefit Mountaire Farms’ feed mill to be located in the county.
The North Carolina Infrastructure Authority awarded the grant.
According to a press release from the North Carolina Department of Commerce (NCDC), the total costs for the rail improvements will exceed $9.2 million, with Mountaire Farms, CSX Corporation and Scotland County contributing to the balance.
The plans for the new $44 million feed mill were announced in January. The mill, which NCDC in its press release said would be the second largest in the world, is expected to support 65 new jobs.
The state announced Scotland County’s grant along with 26 other infrastructure-related grants totaling $6.59 million. The financial assistance awarded to Scotland County was the largest of all 27 grants.
“Companies bring jobs to local communities, but to attract these jobs in the first place communities must have modern infrastructure in place,” said North Carolina Commerce Secretary Anthony M. Copeland. “These grants will help counties and towns meet the needs of business by upgrading water and sewer systems, buildings and industrial access points all across the state.”
Mountaire Farms was previously awarded a One North Carolina Fund grant for its feed mill project.
Mountaire Farms is the seventh largest broiler company in the United States, according to the WATTAgNet Top Poultry Companies Database. In 2015, the company produced 46.1 million pounds of ready-to-cook chicken on a weekly basis. Its brands include Mountaire, Bo San and Black Label.