Other Articles Clipping from Statesville Record and Landmark, Thu, Feb 22, 1973.
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Pilch-DeKalb Losses Cited4Poultry Operation ClosingThe world’s second largest poultry breeding company announced Wednesday that it v/ill close its Iredell County headquarters by May.Pilch-DeKalb, Inc., located onAmity Hill Road near Troutman, is being closed by its parent company, DeKalb AgResearch, Inc. because of operating losses.A spokesman for the firm said yesterday that every attempt is being made to provide jobs for the 75 local employes and contract producers in the area. Workers were notified of the decision Wednesday in a letter from DeKalb’s Wee president, John R. Nelson.Harry Myers, agriculture extension agent, said about eightfarm producers would be affected by the shut-down, however, with expansion of otherlocal poultry firms in keen”competition, they should be absorbed without losing a day.”He said the Pilch-DeKalb operation was one of the finest and best organized research centers he had ever seen.Vernon Voss, director of finance, said the local office building, distribution center, and research center will be sold and officials hoped jobs can be proWded by the buyers,DeKalb AgResearch, Inc., the parent company of Pilch-DeKalb, has decided to divest itself of its commitment to the broiler industry which means that it will sell its Pilch-DeKalb interests. We will start immediately to try to sell the various assets of Pilch-DeKalb and make every effort, during the negotiations for sale of any of its locations, to find continuing employment oppor-*tunities for the personnel of Pilch-DeKalb,” Nelson’s letter stated.DeKalb AgResearch is the largest producer of hybrid seed corn and egg laying stock in the world, originating from DeKalb, 111.DeKalb purchased the Pilch Poultry Breeding Farms in 1970, then located in Connecticut, and moved the subsidiary’s headquarters to Iredell County in 1972.The center bred and distributed broiler breeding stock to customers throughout the world, including 40 countries.Wednesday’s announcement stated that operating losses have been sustained each year since DeKalb acquired the Pilch companies and has continued tp operate at a loss in the cojp-pany’s current fiscal year(See 2, Page 2-A)
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