Representatives of Auburn University, the College of Agriculture and the poultry industry celebrate a $500,000 gift from D&F Equipment Sales Inc. and the Fortenberry family to support the next phase of construction at Auburn’s Charles C. Miller Jr. Poultry Research and Education Center in North Auburn. (Auburn University)

Auburn University’s College of Agriculture has received $500,000 from D&F Equipment Sales Inc. and the Fortenberry family, the company founders. The money will support the Charles C. Miller Jr. Poultry Research and Education Center, located at the North Auburn campus.

Specifically, it will help build a poultry research and educational processing plant promoting animal welfare, food safety and quality.

Groundbreaking is tentatively set for this fall as part of phase three of the 30-acre Miller Center. The plant will be the sixth building constructed at the center, with another 14 buildings currently planned.

Larry Fortenberry, the company’s founder, said the Miller Center will attract researchers from around the globe. He urged other national poultry-related operations to support the project.

“Poultry has been good to me and to my family and to many other families,” Fortenberry said. “I challenge everyone in the U.S. poultry industry to give back to our industry by supporting Auburn’s efforts to build a world-class poultry research center.”