Heartland Catfish Co. completed Part 1 of a 2-part expansion that will bring additional freezing and processing capacity to its Itta Bena, Miss., headquarters processing facility.

The expansion will bring up to 40 new jobs, and will allow Heartland Catfish to strengthen its product quality and customer service programs.

Part one of this expansion, completed at the end of November, brings 13,000 square feet of additional freezer capacity, eliminating the need to house frozen product off-site at third-party locations.

“The additional freezer space will allow us to better manage our inventory and improve service to our customers,” says Danny Walker, chief executive officer.

Part two, expected to be completed in early 2020, will create an additional 12,000-square-foot processing wing, allowing the company to consolidate all processing capabilities under one roof by relocating further processing operations from its Greensboro, Ala., facility to the main plant in Mississippi.

“We are always looking for ways to improve our operations,” says Walker. “These projects will allow us to become more efficient in how we process, package and deliver the best catfish available to our customers and end consumers.”