The company said in a Dec. 18 statement it plans to move the headquarters from Seaford to its new office location in the first quarter of 2018. Renovation of the existing facility, which spans 460,000 sq. ft. includes remodeling 20,000 sq. ft. of office space for the corporate offices and updating the exterior façade. Officials are considering using solar energy to provide power to part of the building, where approximately 50 people will work.

The plan for the remaining space in the building includes a 50,000-sq.-ft. deboning operation that will be supplied by the Harbeson plant. The facility will also include a consignment warehouse to be used to store boxes and packaging material from its vendors that the company uses in its production.

Joe Moran, president and CEO, iterated that Allen Harim remains committed to not using the plant as a slaughtering facility, pointing out that the deboning operation will use much less water than would a slaughtering plant. An updated wastewater treatment solution is also a part of the project. 

“We listened to the neighbors and heard their concerns. Ultimately, we are working toward the goal of getting out of the stream,” Moran said.

 “This is work that’s already being done outside of the state and we’re excited to be bringing that work back to Delaware,” Moran said. “We will be creating about 165 jobs in Millsboro and bringing back economic activity to our home state.”