OAKWOOD, GA. – Wayne Farms announced it has completed upgrades and expansion for its Enterprise, Ala., poultry processing facility.

The company said it added 200,000 square feet to the building and spent around $110 million for the project. Included in the improvements was the addition of a controlled atmosphere stunning (CAS) system.

Wayne Farms said the expanded Enterprise operation can process around 400,000 birds a day now compared to 265,000 birds before the changes.

Upgrading the Enterprise location is part of Wayne Farms’ move into national markets with its Global Animal Partnership (GAP) Step 2 rated Naked Truth chicken products. The company announced a major partnership with Whole Foods in May.

The new facility upgrades include employee features such as modern, Wi-Fi equipped breakrooms, enhanced plant ergonomics and other safety and health upgrades. Other additions include new farm and processing equipment and practices relating to enhanced animal welfare of the flocks.

Wayne Farms said Enterprise is part of a $350 million regional expansion in South Alabama, which includes its facilities in Dothan and Ozark. The company has new contracts with hundreds of local family farms that raise chickens.

“South Alabama regional expansion has created hundreds more new positions at Wayne facilities in Dothan, Union Springs and Ozark,” said Brad Williams, Wayne Farms South Alabama region manager. “Enterprise and South Alabama are central to our growth strategy. Our partnerships with Alabama and our local communities, access to a solid labor market, and quality farm operations in the region have been key to that growth.”

The Enterprise expansion pushed Wayne Farms’ overall workforce to more than 1,500 employees in South Alabama.