The Virginia Poultry Growers Cooperative Inc. (VPGC) will invest $113.9 million to expand operations in Rockingham County, Virginia.
The investment will create 146 new jobs and new grower opportunities. The VPGC will execute a multi-phase expansion of several facilities — including the construction of a nearly 2 million cubic foot state-of-the-art feed mill that will offer the largest grain storage capacity on the East Coast. With the investment, the company will process an additional 4.5 million turkeys and purchase an additional 2.4 million bushels of corn and wheat from Virginia farms over the next three years.
The expansion also includes adding a rail spur at the Linville facility, completing critical upgrades to the water treatment system at the Hinton facility, and increasing turkey processing capacity. In addition, the VPGC expansion will involve new opportunities for the expansion of family farms throughout the region.
“The Virginia Poultry Growers Cooperative’s historic investment in Rockingham County is a testament to the power of Virginia’s farmers and producers,” said Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger. “The VPGC was founded over 20 years ago by hardworking turkey farmers who doubled down on their commitment to their work and took charge of their own success. Now, with state-of-the-art facilities and record processing capabilities, they are unquestionable leaders in America’s poultry industry.”
As a poultry processor completely owned by its growers, 100% of VPGC’s profits go back to the growers, ensuring that revenue remains in the Commonwealth. Since its founding in 2004, VPGC has continued to innovate in the field of processed turkey, becoming one of the largest commercial turkey processors to offer antibiotic free and organic products. Today, VPGC supplies poultry to major branded food processors and distributors throughout the world, including in the Commonwealth.
“The Virginia Poultry Growers Cooperative is grateful to the Commonwealth of Virginia and our local partners for their leadership and support, which advance our plans for growth and long-term investment,” said VPGC President and General Manager John King. “This collaboration underscores Virginia’s commitment to a strong, competitive, and resilient agricultural economy. The project will significantly expand our production capabilities while strengthening our contributions to the local communities where we operate.”
The Virginia Economic Development Partnership and the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services worked with the Shenandoah Valley Partnership and Rockingham County to secure the project for Virginia. Spanberger approved a $1 million performance-based grant from the Virginia Investment Performance Grant, an incentive that encourages continued capital investment by existing Virginia companies. She also approved a $500,000 AFID facility grant from the Governor’s Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development Fund that supports projects sourcing Virginia-grown products, as well as a $750,000 grant from the Virginia Rail Industrial Access Program.
According to WATTAgNet's Top Poultry Companies database, Virginia Poultry Growers Cooperative Inc. is a vertically integrated turkey company based in Hinton, Virginia. It was formed in 2004 by the 170 turkey farmers affected by Pilgrim’s Pride Corp.'s closure of its Hinton processing facility. The farmers banded together and purchased the facility and a feed mill in Broadway, Virginia.
