Mercersburg, PA – Today, Governor’s Action Team (GAT) Executive Director Brent Vernon highlighted the Wolf Administration’s continued commitment to strengthening Pennsylvania’s manufacturing industry during a ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Herbruck’s Poultry Ranch Blue Springs Egg Farm facility in Mercersburg, Franklin County.

“This project, which is creating hundreds of jobs and injecting $138 million into our economy, is a huge win for Pennsylvania,” said Vernon. “We have a lot to offer to manufacturers looking to set up shop here, as evidenced by Herbruck’s Poultry Ranch choosing the commonwealth over other states as the home of this new facility.”

Situated on 335 acres at 8069 Corner Road in Mercersburg, the facility will consist of eight barns, an egg processing plant, and a manure (litter) pelletizing/storage building when fully completed. Once operational, the facility will house more than 2.7 million cage-free hens.

“The Governor’s Action Team has played a significant role in bringing Blue Springs Egg Farm to fruition, and Herbruck’s is so thankful for its support,” said Herbruck’s CEO Greg Herbruck. “As a fourth-generation family business, we integrated our core values into every aspect of Blue Springs, and with support from the local community and the state, it has resulted in one of the largest agricultural projects in the commonwealth. It will create over 200 jobs for members of the local community, benefiting their families and the greater area.”

The project was coordinated by the Governor’s Action Team, an experienced group of economic development professionals who report directly to the governor and work with businesses that are considering locating or expanding in Pennsylvania.

As part of this project, GAT assisted Herbruck’s with Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) permitting matters and acquiring transportation funding through the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT). Herbruck’s received a grant from PennDOT for $875,000 for state highway improvements supporting the project.

Through the Governor’s Action Team, Gov. Wolf has invested more than $17.6 billion over the past seven years to support 420 completed projects, create 47,180 new jobs, and retain 143,551 jobs for Pennsylvanians.

Headquartered in Saranac, Michigan, Herbruck’s Poultry Ranch supplies over 3 billion farm-fresh eggs and 55 million pounds of liquid egg product to retailers and foodservice outlets across the nation each year. Herbruck’s flock has grown from 3,000 egg-laying hens in the late 1950s to ten million today, and has locations in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Indiana.

For more information about the Governor’s Action Team or the Department of Community and Economic Development, visit the DCED website, and be sure to stay up-to-date with all of our agency news on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Penny Ickes, DCED, dcedpress@pa.gov

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