EATON — Henny Penny on Wednesday, Nov. 30, held a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the beginning of a major improvement project to update and expand a building on its Eaton campus.
The employee-centered project is grounded in Henny Penny’s distinct identity as a 100 percent employee-owned company and its aim to make a significant, positive impact on its employee-owners, the community, and its customers through the transformative potential of well-being ownership, officials said in a press release.
Rob Connelly, Henny Penny’s Chairman and CEO, said the project demonstrates the company’s future direction and commitment to honoring the core values that have guided the company for decades.
“Henny Penny has enjoyed 65 years of success in what we do because of who we are,” said Rob Connelly, Henny Penny Chairman & CEO. “Our employee-owners have helped set us apart in our industry and made Henny Penny a thriving, special company. We have continued to plan with a long view and make decisions that invest in our people and our future, and I know we are better for it. We believe Henny Penny has an opportunity and responsibility to create significant and positive impact that starts with our employee-owners and has the potential to extend far beyond.”
Anticipated to be completed in late 2023, the nearly $10 million project will result in a 30,000-square-foot facility, with spaces dedicated to well-being—including an expanded 3,500-square-foot onsite clinic and a new 4,000-square-foot fitness room — and shared ownership, with a 17,000-square-foot multipurpose space designed for the company’s 1,000-plus employee-owners to gather. Its design and layout will support mental, physical, financial, and social well-being, along with personal rejuvenation, growth, learning, and collaboration.
Eaton Mayor Joe Renner was one of several speakers during last week’s event.
“I’d like to start first by thanking you for letting me be a part of the ceremony this morning and giving me the opportunity to share my appreciation for Henny Penny on behalf of the city,” Renner said. “After taking office I quickly learned the commitment Henny Penny has not only for the community but for its employees. And later, while serving on the Eaton Board of Education, I witnessed firsthand the generosity of Henny Penny and the Cobb family for the community and its employees.”
He continued, “On behalf of the City of Eaton, I want to congratulate Henny Penny on this newest expansion project and say thank you for your continued investment in our community.
“For over 65 years, Henny Penny has been a trusted community partner, supporting not only its customers and employees, but also the City of Eaton as a whole. The City takes great pride that this exceptional company is headquartered locally and continues its role as a major stakeholder here.
“Henny Penny’s dedication to bettering the lives of its employees translates into bettering the lives of residents through the company’s many acts of good will, from sponsorships for local groups and organizations to its countless charitable donations. Henny Penny’s brand, culture, and sense of community play a vital role in Eaton, Ohio, and we are extremely grateful for this newest investment in the future.”
This project is the latest in a series of business accomplishments for the Eaton-based company, including employment milestones, multiple expansion announcements, new executive appointments, and its 65th anniversary. This summer, Henny Penny announced the opening of a satellite office in downtown Dayton. Last year, the company completed a 150,000-square-foot expansion to its Eaton Building for additional manufacturing and engineering space. Before that, in 2014, the company completed a 45,000-square-foot addition to the Wagner Building.
