Norman W. Fries, Inc. dba Claxton Poultry Farms, a large family-owned, egg-to-market poultry processor, will soon start building an all new, state-of-the-art chicken deboning and packaging facility at the Screven County Industrial Park in Sylvania, GA.

Construction on the $12 million project is slated to begin this year and is expected to create at least 75 area jobs while injecting hundreds of thousands of dollars annually into the local community.

“We are excited to be a part of the growth in Screven County,” said Mikell R. Fries, President of Claxton Poultry.  “Our new facility will enable us to meet the growing needs of our current customers and allow for future expansion as customer needs dictate.  We look forward to working with the county and the development authority on this project and to contributing to the local economy in Screven and surrounding counties.”

“Norman W. Fries Inc. decision to locate in Screven County is the result of great community leadership and access to a skilled workforce in the region,” said Georgia Department of Economic Development Commissioner Pat Wilson. “We know this company will be a fantastic addition to Sylvania, and look forward to watching them succeed in Georgia.”

Screven County Development Authority Chairman Bobby Smith said, “Claxton Poultry represents so many of the ideals and ideas that we embrace, such as family tradition, agriculture, entrepreneurship and job creation.  I can’t wait to drive down Industrial Park Road and watch their investment come to fruition right here in our community.”

Claxton Poultry is in the midst of a multiyear, multimillion-dollar capital expansion program with a processing plant located in Claxton and other facilities owned and operated by an affiliate located in Glennville and Surrency.  The Sylvania facility will sit on a 33-acre site within the industrial park and initially take up 35,000 sq. ft.

Norman W. Fries, Sr. and Doris S. Fries founded the company in Savannah in 1949 with one employee and one truck.  Today, Mrs. Fries as CEO and Chairman oversees the company that has grown into a global food manufacturer that processes approximately 2.35 million birds per week with the assistance of its 1800 employees, 250 contract grower families and a fleet of more than 140 vehicles.  Claxton Poultry products are available both domestically and internationally, supplying a customer base that includes small, mom and pop locations as well as nationally recognized names such as Chick-fil-A, Walmart, Popeye’s, KFC, Zaxby’s, Bojangles’ and a number of others.