Bell & Evans Plans $152 Million Expansion of Lebanon County Poultry Plant, 382 Jobs

Poultry processor Bell & Evans plans to invest $152 million to expand and upgrade its operations in Bethel Township, Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, a project the state says will create at least 382 jobs over three years. Governor Josh Shapiro announced the investment along with a $2 million state grant, according to the state's release Pennsylvania DCED. The centerpiece is a 50,000-square-foot addition to the company's Plant Two at 2929 Route 22 Area Development.

For the building industry, the announcement is another sign that food processing remains one of the steadier sources of industrial construction work in the Northeast. The dollar figure is large compared with the size of the addition, which suggests that much of the spending sits inside the walls rather than in the shell.

What Happened

The state release describes the project as an expansion of Bell & Evans operations in Bethel Township, built around a 50,000-square-foot addition to Plant Two that will add capacity for further processing and packaging Pennsylvania DCED. Trade coverage describes the work the same way, as an addition designed for processing and packaging poultry products MEAT+POULTRY.

The company has committed to creating at least 382 new jobs over three years and to retaining 2,524 existing full-time positions, according to the state Pennsylvania DCED. MEAT+POULTRY rounded those figures, reporting at least 380 new jobs and more than 2,500 retained positions MEAT+POULTRY. The numbers are consistent, and the state's figures are the more precise ones.

Bell & Evans owner and chairman Scott Sechler, Sr. said of the company's commitment to the state, "Pennsylvania is our home. We're here to stay" Pennsylvania DCED. Shapiro said the investment will "continue to support family farms" Pennsylvania DCED.

Facility Scope, Incentives and Timeline

• What is being built: A 50,000-square-foot addition to the existing Plant Two at 2929 Route 22 in Bethel Township Area Development.
• What it is for: More capacity in further processing and packaging, the steps that turn harvested chicken into finished retail and foodservice products Pennsylvania DCED.
• Total investment: $152 million from Bell & Evans Pennsylvania DCED.
• State support: A $2 million Pennsylvania First grant from the Department of Community and Economic Development, with the proposal coordinated by the state's BusinessPA team Pennsylvania DCED.
• Jobs: At least 382 new positions over three years, with 2,524 existing full-time jobs retained Pennsylvania DCED.
• Local partner: The Lebanon Valley Economic Development Corporation, whose president, Susan Eberly, called the company "instrumental" to the county's economic vitality Area Development.

The sources reviewed leave several things out. None of them gives a construction start date or a completion date; the only schedule stated is the three-year window for job creation MEAT+POULTRY. None names an architect, engineer, general contractor or equipment supplier. And although the project is described as both an expansion and an upgrade, the published material does not itemize the equipment, automation or process lines that will be installed, or say how the $152 million divides between the building and what goes into it.

About the Company

Bell & Evans is a fifth-generation family business that the state describes as the country's oldest branded chicken company Pennsylvania DCED. It produces fresh and prepared chicken for retail and foodservice customers Area Development. All of its chicken is raised without antibiotics or certified organic, and it does not produce commodity chicken MEAT+POULTRY.

The state framed the deal as part of a wider push on agriculture. Pennsylvania counts 48,800 farms and says the sector contributes $132.5 billion a year and supports nearly 600,000 jobs Pennsylvania DCED. The release also cites other recent food sector commitments, including a $1.2 billion investment by Chobani, and says the current state budget keeps $10 million for the Agricultural Innovation Grant Program Pennsylvania DCED.

Implications for Owners, Developers, Contractors and Subs

• Owners: The state grant equals a little over 1 percent of the announced investment, a simple calculation from the published figures. Incentives of this kind help at the margin and usually come with job commitments, here 382 positions in three years, so the business case has to stand without them.
• Contractors: An addition to an operating food plant is a different job from a new building on open ground. Tie-ins, sanitation separation, phased shutdowns and work around live production tend to drive the schedule. No contractor has been named publicly, so the delivery method and bid opportunities are not yet known.
• Subs and suppliers: Processing and packaging space is typically heavy on refrigeration, process piping, electrical capacity, washdown-rated finishes, floor drainage and insulated panels. The ratio of dollars to square feet points to substantial equipment and installation scope, though the sources do not break it down.
• Developers and landowners: Close to 400 new jobs in a rural township adds to demand for workforce housing and services nearby. The sources do not address housing.

What to Watch

• A construction schedule, including start and completion dates, which has not been published in the sources reviewed.
• Township land development and permitting filings for the Plant Two addition, which would show the actual footprint and site work.
• Naming of the design and construction team and the major equipment vendors.
• Any company detail on automation and process upgrades, which the announcement refers to only in general terms.
• Hiring progress against the three-year, 382-job commitment tied to the state grant Pennsylvania DCED.

Bottom Line

Bell & Evans is putting $152 million into its Lebanon County operations, anchored by a 50,000-square-foot addition to Plant Two for further processing and packaging, with $2 million in state support and a commitment to add at least 382 jobs over three years Pennsylvania DCED. The construction details that matter most to the trades, including schedule, team and equipment scope, have not yet been made public.

Image credit: C on Unsplash. Free-license stock photo of industrial silos, not the Bell & Evans facility. Image from Unsplash.

Related Coverage

• Merck Commits $2.9 Billion to Montgomery County, Pennsylvania Expansion
• Polyethics to Invest $41 Million in First U.S. Plant, a 155,000 SF Ohio Retrofit

Sources

• Pennsylvania DCED, Growing Pennsylvania's Ag Industry & Creating Jobs in Lebanon County: Governor Shapiro Secures $152 Million Investment from Bell & Evans to Expand Operations, Create 382 New Jobs: https://dced.pa.gov/newsroom/growing-pennsylvanias-ag-industry-creating-jobs-in-lebanon-county-governor-shapiro-secures-152-million-investment-from-bell-evans-to-expand-operations-create-382-new-jobs/
• MEAT+POULTRY, Bell & Evans announces $152 million expansion, upgrade for Pennsylvania facility: https://www.meatpoultry.com/articles/34132-bell-and-evans-announces-152-million-expansion-upgrade-for-pennsylvania-facility
• Area Development, Bell & Evans Expands Bethel Township, Pennsylvania, Operations: https://www.areadevelopment.com/newsItems/10-6-2026/bell-evans-bethel-township-pennsylvania.shtml