Farbest One Year

VINCENNES, IND. (WTHI) - One year ago Farbest Foods officials stood before Vincennes community leaders and outlined their plans for a major expansion.

That expansion in Knox County has turned out to be larger than than the company predicted then.

The impact is continuing to grow on the county as the company builds its way toward full operation.

Farbest's plans for Knox County have already begun changing the landscape in the Vincennes Industrial Park.

Work is underway on the new processing plant and despite the recent snow the project is right on target.

"Everything appears to be coming along on schedule," said Gary Gentry with the Knox County Development Corporation.  "The projected completion date for the processing plant is next January, a year from now, January 2014.  That's on schedule.  The mill is on schedule or perhaps ahead of schedule."

The mill is another part of the Farbest project that was added last spring, and while it is being built the company has decided to also put a new brooder hub near Bicknell.

"It's been a flurry of activity and it's been good news for the community of course," said Gentry.

The early good news has been in the form of new work for existing businesses during the construction, and expectations for more as the jobs progress.

The building now in the Industrial Park is just a small part of what Farbest will be constructing there and will have in place this time next year and officials say this community is just now beginning to reap the rewards.

"Those 3 projects combined, the brooder, the mill and the processing bring a total capital investment of 100 million dollars," said Gentry.  "In addition to that they hold the prospect of creating 700 new hobs when full developed."

Something that will have an impact beyond the landscape of the community as the project reaches completion.

Officials predict work on the new brooder hub near Bicknell will begin when the weather breaks this spring.