Chicken plant is an important part of West Columbia community

Our community has changed a great deal over the past 60 years. We’ve grown. And with that growth has come challenges in infrastructure, education, housing, good jobs and meaningful wages, just to name a few.

House of Raeford has been a vital part of West Columbia’s growth in three important ways: contributing handsomely to the city’s bottom line through tax payments, providing good-paying jobs and benefits to a segment of our population that needs them the most, and providing philanthropic support to local organizations. And we’re not done. Which is why we remain committed to West Columbia, even as some question our presence here (“West Columbia riverfront has restaurants, condos — and a chicken plant,” Aug. 26).

As a matter of fact, our company has a collective economic impact in South Carolina of nearly $1 billion. And our Midlands operation is a big part of that.

RELATED: West Columbia riverfront has restaurants, condos — and a chicken plant

House of Raeford is the largest employer in an area that desperately needs good jobs. We pay 42 percent more than minimum wage for hourly workers. That’s a meaningful paycheck. All employees are offered generous health-care packages, paid vacation and paid holidays.

Through our charitable association, FLOCK, we donate time, talent and resources to meet our community’s needs, in partnerships with our nonprofit community. Our Midlands complex is a leader in giving back. Last year alone, we donated $100,000 and more than 100,000 pounds of food and partnered with schools, first responders, food banks and social justice organizations in our community.

It’s not often that residential growth happens next door to a manufacturing facility that has been in operation for 60 years. Of course, residential growth presents challenges in an area that has always been zoned for commercial and industrial use. But we are adapting to our neighbors and have made great strides to improve our facility.

House of Raeford has not only been responsive to this community’s requests; it has been proactive. We are committed to continuous improvement from the inside out — from employee relations, operating procedures, technological advancements, safety measures and efficiency, to corporate citizenship and finding new ways to give back to this community. This company has evolved with this city, and continues to innovate as the city grows.

We remain respectfully committed to this community, its wonderful people and the entire state. We look forward to working with the city as it continues to grow and flourish.

This story was originally published September 7, 2017 at 2:26 PM with the headline "Chicken plant is an important part of West Columbia community."