MACON, Ga. — Atlanta-based Agile Cold Storage and Hartwell-based Lake Foods recently announced plans to expand poultry operations.

On June 13, Agile Cold Storage announced the start of construction on their third cold storage warehouse in Macon. Phase I of the 275,000 square feet multi-temp facility is targeted to open in Summer 2023, and over the next three years, Agile plans to invest more than $150 million in the construction of its new facility to support the domestic and export markets.

Agile’s facility will use automation where possible to make the work environment safer and more efficient for its team members.

The facility will include frozen and deep-freeze temperature zones to ensure products are blast frozen and maintained at the highest levels of quality in accordance with industry specifications and government regulations.

On June 16, Lake Foods announced a joint venture with Carolina Fresh Foods, to build a new, $10 million poultry further processing plant in Florence, S.C.

Lake Foods, based in north Georgia, focuses on poultry processing. Headquartered in Florence, SC, Carolina Fresh Foods is a food distributor that specializes in meat products.

Carolina Precision Foods LLC debones, portions, marinates, custom further processes, and mechanically separates poultry. The company will partner with regional poultry processors in custom further processing of poultry products.

The Florence facility is slated to become operational in August.

–Georgia Farm Bureau