Source: TPA Newsletter
Submitted by Complex Manager David Wilds
he Morristown Complex was originally the Burnett Produce Company which was founded in 1950. The current processing plant was built by Burnett in 1964 and is still operating today under the Koch Foods name. Koch Foods purchased Burnett Produce in May of 1999 and over the next few years expanded the capacity of the processing plant and also added a new debone facility in 2005.
We currently process 1.1 million birds per week and debone 1.3 million head with additional product brought in from our plant in Chattanooga, TN. Our products mainly go into further processing and food service along with overseas exports for leg quarters. Koch Foods is currently the largest employer in Morristown with right at 1,000 team members at two facilities and our live operations.
Morristown is a city of 30,000 and growing, with a large industrial base ranging from automotive parts manufacturing, furniture manufacturing, and large scale bakeries to corrugated boxes and polypropylene packaging films. We are proud to be a part of this thriving community.
Live Operations
Our pullet and breeder operations are located in Middle Tennessee and North Alabama and supply all the hatching eggs needed for our complex. The independent breeder producers are the first key step in the process and do a great job of supplying high qualityeggs to our hatchery.
Our chicks are hatched at our Hatchery in Henagar, AL and our feed is supplied by our feed mill in Chattanooga, TN. These two facilities are under the Chattanooga Complex but supply both Morristown and Chattanooga farms.
All of our contract broiler farms are located in Tennessee and supply a consistent and high quality broilers to the plant. This is due to the tremendous work and husbandry all our independent producers provide for the birds. They are a major part of the process and we could not do it without them!
Complex Staff
As a poultry Complex manager you have to have a supportive and cooperative team to be successful. It takes everyone doing their part and also helping and supporting their peers and coworkers. I am very fortunate to have a group that goes above and beyond to do just that! We have a common goal and everyone from the front line team members to all members of management are always working towards it!
