If you happen to buy a Butterball (fresh or frozen) turkey for Thanksgiving this year, here's an offer you might be interested in.

Bay Valley Foods is closing its distribution center in Turkey and laying off 48 employees.

The company filed a letter with the state last week under the Worker Adjustment and Retaining Notification Act.

Bay Valley, which operates a facility in Faison, said in its letter that it is outsourcing the work done at the Turkey site to a third-party based in Kings Mountain.

The layoffs are expected to happen between Aug. 12 and Sept. 30.

Turkey is in Sampson County, about 70 miles southeast of Raleigh.

Maxwell Farms and Seaboard Corp. announced today that they have finalized their purchase of Butterball from a subsidiary of Smithfield Foods.

The deal was first announced in September.

Smithfield sold its 49 percent interest to Maxwell, which already owned the other 51 percent of Butterball. Maxwell, in turn, sold a 50 percent stake in Butterball to Seaboard of Kansas.

Smithfield, the world's largest pork producer, gave Maxwell Farms an ultimatum in June. It said it would unload its shares of Butterball if Maxwell didn't accept its $200 million buyout offer.

Butterball employs 80 people in Garner, where it moved its headquarters in 2008.

Smithfield sold its Butterball stake for $175 million. Seaboard paid $177.5 million for half of Butterball.
 

Butterball could have a new parent before Thanksgiving.

The world's largest turkey company, which moved its corporate headquarters to Garner in 2008, is a joint venture of Maxwell Farms and Smithfield Foods.

But Smithfield, which owns 49 percent of Butterball, isn't happy with the arrangement.

On Thursday, the company announced that it has offered about $200 million to buy Maxwell's 51 percent stake. If Maxwell isn't interested in selling, Smithfield plans to unload its share of Butterball. Smithfield wants a decision by mid-September.

Friday Night Date Menu...The Recipes 

This is a follow-up to my earlier blog post.

I don't know about you but these lean economic times have me "eating in" more. Well all is not lost for with a little planning it can be just as much fun as going out. Now someone has to do the cooking but keep the menu simple and you'll save time and money.

Friday Night Date Menu

• Turkey Burgers(recipe to follow)
• Alexia Oven Fries
• Double Chocolate Cookies(recipe to follow)
• Houge Cellars Late Harvest Riesling

No charges will be filed against a N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission
law enforcement officer who was involved in the fatal shooting of a
Wilkes County turkey hunter on April 11, according to a July 2 release
by the commission.

Wild turkeys are no Butterballs.

 
Staff photo by Samuel Spies

A pair of (presumably) wild turkeys on a rainy day in Hillsborough on July 14, 2008.