This will be the fifth such pedigree complex in the country, catering for ongoing growth in global sales of broiler breeder stock and also an enlarged Cobb gene pool.

Agreement to purchase a 1,000-acre (405-hectare) farm at Deer Lodge in Morgan County has just been signed and construction work is scheduled to begin immediately with completion in 12 months.

The project, which will create around 115 new jobs in the locality, has begun the process to secure a Fast-track Infra-Structure Development Program grant from the state of Tennessee through the county's economic development committee,

"We've had an extremely positive response from Morgan County and the State of Tennessee officials who welcome the boost this will provide to their local economy," says Dave Juenger, Director of Support Services for Cobb-Vantress.

The site was chosen because of its strategic location as well as the opportunities provided by the Deer Lodge farm.

Mr Juenger continued: "Locating the pedigree farm in a different region to our other complexes gives us an additional degree of security particularly in supplying our global markets. Deer Lodge is a very rural area of Tennessee which once had a local poultry population years ago, but now has very few birds in the county."

The pedigree complex will house a number of Cobb lines including some of the Hybro lines acquired by the company in 2007. The development will include a hatchery as well as the brooding, rearing and production housing and employee centre.