Allen Harim, Seaford, Del., re-opened its newly renovated Harbeson, Del., chicken processing facility. Allen Harim invested $30 million to the renovation project, and expects to invest another $10 million by the close of 2017 with the goal of developing a more productive, efficient and sustainable facility.

“As we grow our operations in Delaware and expand across the United States, we remain committed to supporting both the local communities in which we operate and the U.S. chicken industry of which we are proud to be a member,” says Hong-Kuk Kim, chairman of Harim Group, Allen Harim’s parent company. 

In June, Allen Harim consolidated its processing operations, bringing it all under one roof at Harbeson. The move was meant to take advantage of every aspect of the newly renovated facility. Allen employs more than 1,650 people in Delaware.

The 190,000-sqare-foot facility underwent a series of upgrades to enhance the employee experience. For example, the main entrance was renovated with a welcoming three-dimensional mural that includes a blossoming tree, embodying the translation of the Korean word “Harim” as “summer forest.” The expansion also entails new lighting, an upgraded employee cafeteria, new restrooms, a new human resources department area, new conference and meeting rooms and a new employee equipment room.

The plant was also reconfigured to allow the installation of new equipment such as a new wastewater treatment facility and the construction of a solar farm, both major steps in the company’s sustainability efforts.

“A tremendous amount of hard work has gone into the renovation of the facility, and there is no doubt that we are well-positioned for growth,” says Joe Moran, chief executive officer. “We are now better positioned to meet our current and future customer demands across the U.S., and we will do it more efficiently and sustainably than ever before.”

The Harbeson plant processes 1.8 chickens a week for its Allen Harim, Nature’s Sensation and Oasis brands. Each line includes fresh whole birds and parts, tray pack bone-in parts and boneless chicken products.