SPRINGDALE, ARK. — Tyson Foods, Inc. has broken ground on a $136 million, 200,000-square-foot poultry processing plant adjacent to an older facility in Green Forest, Ark.
The project, which was contingent on some tax incentives, was proposed to planning officials in Carroll county on April 13. A ceremonial groundbreaking was held at the building site Aug. 24. The new plant will be attached via a corridor to Tyson’s facility just across the street, which was built by Franz Foods in 1959 and acquired by Tyson eight years later. Approximately 1,250 workers are currently employed at the Green Forest plant. Tyson operates another plant in Carroll county, in the city of Berryville.
Approximately 85 jobs are expected to be created by the new plant once it is fully operational. Plans are for the project to be completed by late 2017. While the current operation produces partially cooked chicken for food service and retail customers, the new facility will include additional production lines and equipment to increase capacity and efficiency by eliminating the need to ship products to other locations for further processing.
“This is the first new plant construction project Tyson Foods has proposed to build in a number of years, and we’re hopeful we can partner with Carroll county and the AEDC (Arkansas Economic Development Commission) to invest in our home state,” said Noel White, Tyson’s president of poultry, when the project plans were announced.
