Engineered for Expansion: Designing Longenecker's Hatchery

At AWB Engineers, we take pride in tackling complex projects that demand precision to meet the unique needs of our clients. AWB Principal Engineer Matt Morgan shares his expertise as the project manager for the recently completed Longenecker's Hatchery project in Duncannon, Pennsylvania. For this project, AWB provided architectural, structural, mechanical, and electrical services.

There were a number of challenges with this project, particularly concerning cross-contamination and managing the movement of eggs and chicks. In any hatchery, the movement of eggs from the truck into the facility, and then from hatching to distribution is a delicate process.

For Longenecker's Hatchery, AWB established a systematic workflow within the hatchery, ensuring that eggs and chicks are safely moved through distinct zones in the building. Trucks first access the west side of the building to drop off the eggs, while the chicks exit through the east side, ready to be distributed to various farms and facilities.

In addition to workflow optimization, meeting biosecurity protocols was another critical challenge our team faced. "The challenge," Morgan noted, "was to ensure that eggs and chicks traveled through the building without risking cross-contamination. Hatchery operations depend heavily on biosecurity, and we designed the building layout to minimize risk." Cross-contamination can devastate hatchery operations, and the design had to account for this every step of the way.

AWB Engineers consistently leverages our extensive project experience to set the benchmark for engineering in the hatchery industry through advanced technical expertise and a deep commitment to understanding our clients’ unique needs.