North Shore Railroad affiliate to serve Pennsylvania feed mill

State, local and business officials on Sept. 27 helped cut the ceremonial ribbon on a $58 million Country View Family Farms’ feed mill in Union County, Pennsylvania.

North Shore Railroad Co. subsidiary Union County Industrial Railroad, which interchanges with Norfolk Southern Railway, will serve the facility. 

Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Secretary Rick Siger and Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding were on hand to recognize the completed project. Country View Family Farms built the new feed mill on a 100-plus acre rail-served site at 2142 Old Route 15 in New Columbia to support its hog production business, according to a DCED press release.

Based out of Middletown in Dauphin County, Country View Family Farms is a hog procurement and production company, managing over 100 family farms that are raising hogs under contract. The company is a subsidiary of the Clemens Family Corp.

 "The White Deer Feed Mill is key to the growth of our company and our impact on the communities where we live and work," said Aaron Ott, president of Country View Family Farms. The project initially was slated to cost $47.3 million, but ended up being closer to $58 million, Ott said, the New Castle News reported.

The 176-foot tall mill tower with a 3,582-square-foot base and the 56-foot-tall pelleting annex with a 2,016-square-foot base were built last year. With the capacity to produce 8,000 tons of feed weekly, the mill is slated to open with 51 employees in mid-October, according to the news site.

The commonwealth provided Country View Family Farms with a $255,000 funding offer for the expansion. The project was coordinated by the Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s "Governor's Action Team," an experienced group of economic development professionals who work with businesses that are considering locating or expanding in Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture staff, including Secretary Russell Redding, also helped coordinate the project.