The two-year project will increase capacity at the plant’s harvest area, add new meat processing lines and upgrade support operations like hatcheries, feed mill and transportation.
Tyson Foods, one of world’s largest meat processors, wants nearly 200 new broiler houses to be built in north-west Tennessee by 2019 to supply the extra poultry it needs to process as it aims to keep pace with rising protein demand.
“Customer and consumer demand for protein, especially chicken, is increasing, so we’re investing in projects that build on our strengths, expand our capabilities and increase our capacity,” said Doug Ramsey, group president of poultry at Tyson Foods.
Tyson ‘integral’ to local community
Construction work is expected to begin in the autumn and will add roughly 25,000 square feet to the plant when the project is finished in 2019.
Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam welcomed the investment that would create new jobs in a state with an unemployment rate of 3.6%, according to the Bureau of Labour Statistics.
“Tyson has been an integral part of Obion County for 20 years and I’m pleased to see the company move forward with this 300-job expansion in Union City,” he said in a statement.
“With more than 1,000 employees in West Tennessee, Tyson’s impact on the community extends to the local farmers supported by its operations. I’d like to thank Tyson for its continued commitment to West Tennessee and bringing us closer to making Tennessee the number one location in the south east for high-quality jobs.”
Tyson Foods’ Union City plant and support ancillary operations was opened in 1997 and predominantly produces partially-fried chicken for foodservice and has a 1,000-strong workforce.
The company thanked the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development, and the Northwest Tennessee Economic Development Council for supporting the project.