Expansion construction underway at meat plant

Construction is underway at Wells, Jenkins & Wells after being awarded the Increasing Meat Processing Efficiency and Capacity Grant from NCDA&CS last September. This grant is being used to expand their operations off Rollins Road in Forest City.

This grant was created by the North Carolina General Assembly in order to address critical meat processing capacity shortages that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. The goal of the grant is to increase the overall throughput capacity of meat processing plants in North Carolina and strengthen the meat supply chain, to ensure an uninterrupted supply of wholesome meat products for consumers.

Wells, Jenkins, & Wells is a Forest City-based, full-service abattoir that currently contracts with over 1,040 independently-owned farms to process large livestock from hoof to freezer. Wells, Jenkins & Wells offers USDA inspected slaughter, fabrication, and custom cutting and packaging for beef, pork, lamb, and goat. They are committed to working with small-scale, local meat producers who direct market meats. Wells, Jenkins & Wells works with independent farmers who produce and market natural, local, and niche meats.

The grant funding from the state allows Wells, Jenkins & Wells to move forward with a $2.5M robust and streamlined expansion without a disruption in operations and is expected to create 15 new jobs.

Rutherford County Economic Development made the announcement last fall.