WATERTOWN, N.Y. — Construction work is underway on a project that will be the largest hatchery in New York State and that is expected to create 20 new full-time jobs. 

CWT Farms International on June 15 broke ground on a $16 million chick hatchery in the town of Watertown.

The upcoming 50,000-square-foot hatchery is located at the Thousand Islands International Agriculture and Business Park in Jefferson County, Empire State Development (ESD) said in its announcement. 

For more than 60 years, Gainesville, Georgia–based CWT has produced “high standard” broiler hatching eggs for its global customer base, ESD noted, describing CWT Farms International as a “recognized leader” in hatching egg exports into Canada. 

The Watertown facility will include a laboratory and high-tech equipment to incubate, vaccinate, and handle eggs and live chicks. It will also include specialized equipment for each stage of the production process, ESD noted. 

The facility was initially planned to handle 500,000 eggs to produce 400,000 chicks per week and grow to handle up to 1 million eggs to produce 800,000 chicks by 2025. In a change in plans, CWT Farms International will now open at full capacity.

A project rendering describes it as a “Lundy Group Project” and bears the logo of LUNCO Design Build, a Lundy Group company that’s led by President Michael Lundy, a well-known North Country developer.

“Jefferson County is an ideal location to place our new hatchery and I could not be more thankful for the support and partnership at the State and local levels, and from our supply chain and construction partners who really helped get this project off the ground,” Jeff Pierce, VP of marketing and strategic alliances at CWT Farms International, said. “Without this support from Empire State Development and the JCIDA, this project would not have become a reality.”

To encourage this project’s success and job-creation goals, the North Country Regional Economic Development Council (NCREDC) recommended a $1 million ESD capital grant and up to $500,000 in performance-based Excelsior Jobs Program tax credits. In addition, CWT Farms will be the first agriculture-production company in the new Thousand Islands Agriculture and Business Park, which was made possible with a $500,000 ESD capital grant recommended by the NCREDC.

“CWT Farms International’s state-of-the-art facility spotlights the North Country as an incubator for agribusiness innovation,” Hope Knight, president, CEO, and commissioner of Empire State Development, said. “We’re proud to support this project, which will create new jobs, strengthen cross-border business and add to regional growth.”       

David Zembiec, CEO of Jefferson County Economic Development, thanked CWT Farms International for choosing to locate in Jefferson County. 

“CWT had many options in different states for their new facility and the North Country, as the State’s gateway to Canada, and the state’s previous investment in Thousand Islands International Agriculture and Business Park, put Jefferson County on top,” Zembiec said. “We are looking forward to watching this company grow in the region.”