Barber Foods celebrated its 60^th anniversary by undergoing a more than $1 million capital improvement on its Portland, Maine, headquarters production facility to update both manufacturing line and plant capabilities to meet the specifications necessary to produce the reformulated stuffed chicken breast products, which will begin production late June.

The 250,000-square-foot facility boasts two raw/par-fry lines and houses more than 300 associates.

“With Barber commanding nearly 70% of the frozen stuffed chicken breast market, we challenged ourselves ‘Why mess with a good thing?’” says David Barber, senior consultant for Barber Foods, which was acquired by AdvancePierre Foods in June 2011. “We wanted to remain ‘true’ to our loyal customers, yet recognize that innovation is the cornerstone of Barber. If not for the intrepid thinking that led to the brand’s premium stuffed chicken entrées in 1970, my family’s legacy would have never gotten off of the ground. With the support of the AdvancePierre team and resources, celebrating 60 years by making the best frozen stuffed chicken breasts even better was a no-brainer.”  

“Barber is a top-notch brand and one we’re proud to stand behind,” adds John Simons, president and CEO of AdvancePierre Foods, Cincinnati. “When Barber Foods joined the AdvancePierre family in 2011, we knew that we were building something special—the ideal value-added protein and sandwich assembly platform. Today, we’re excited that our union and this investment in our product portfolio is delivering on our mission of delighting our customers with great-tasting food.”