Businessman vows to reopen failed kosher chicken plant

MACON - Three months after opening King David Kosher, Georgia&#39;s first kosher chicken processing plant, Atlanta businessman Jonathan ``Johnny&#39;&#39; Imerman had to close his doors because of financial and marketing problems. <br> <br> But the 45-year-old South African native said he has learned from his mistakes and plans to reopen the $28 million plant, which has remained idle since laying off 150 people in April. <br> <br> ``The only people that don&#39;t make mistakes in life are the ones who never learn to take risks,&#39;&#39; the former Georgia Entrepreneur of the Year said recently from his Buckhead horse farm. <br> <br> King David Kosher opened in January and processed 16,000 birds a day. Its staff included rabbis who flew in from Montreal, New York and Florida to perform the 3,000-year-old Hebrew rituals. <br> <br> The kosher chickens are processed in cold water, rather than the more conventional hot-water treatment that makes feather removal easier. The chickens&#39; necks also must be cut with a special knife, which must remain free of nicks or cuts in the blade. After the feathers are removed, the birds are salted and soaked in an hour-long procedure. <br> <br> Last year, consumers spent about $5.7 billion on kosher products, up almost 19 percent from the $4.8 billion spent in 2000, according to industry trade magazine Kosher Today. <br> <br> Imerman said he is getting a new loan and has put together a plan to pay back his debts. He expects the company to be operational again by the end of the year, with an expanded product line, that includes kosher turkeys and barbecue chickens. <br> <br> ``I don&#39;t know of any business that doesn&#39;t have hiccups,&#39;&#39; Imerman said. <br> <br> The state, the city of Macon and surrounding Bibb County gave Imerman a $500,000 state grant to purchase equipment and $100,000 in local tax abatements. The money is secured by plant equipment. <br> <br> ``Sure we&#39;re concerned,&#39;&#39; said Pat Topping, senior vice president of the Macon Economic Development Commission. ``We have half a million dollars invested with in this, but we feel confident that his plan will work.&#39;&#39;