HUMBOLDT, TENN. — Tyson Foods, Inc. has announced plans to build a new chicken production complex in Humboldt, part of Gibson County in western Tennessee. The complex will include a processing plant, hatchery, feed mill and related operations.
The $300 million project is expected to create more than 1,500 jobs once the complex begins operations in late 2019. The new plant will produce pre-packaged trays of fresh chicken for retail grocery stores nationwide and is expected to process 1.25 million birds per week.
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| Tom Hayes, president and c.e.o. of Tyson Foods |
“This project will enable us to provide even more fresh chicken to consumers across the country,” said Tom Hayes, president and chief executive officer of Tyson Foods. “As one of the world’s leading protein companies, we continue to raise the world’s expectations of how much good food can do.”
The new Humboldt facility marks the second project Tyson Foods has initiated in Tennessee this year. In August, the company announced plans to expand its Union City operations, an $84 million project expected to create about 300 additional jobs at the facility. Including Union City, Tyson Foods currently operates four facilities in Tennessee, employing about 5,000.
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| Doug Ramsey, group president of Poultry for Tyson Foods |
“Our company has been successfully producing chicken in Tennessee for more than 45 years, so we’re pleased to expand our presence in the state with this major investment,” said Doug Ramsey, group president of Poultry for Tyson Foods. “We’re grateful for the invitation to become part of Humboldt and Gibson County. The location is attractive to us because of the strong support we’ve received from state and local leaders, the existing industrial park and availability of labor, as well as access to feed grains produced in the region.”
The Humboldt project is the same size and scope as the complex near Tonganoxie, Kas., proposed earlier this year, which was met with resistance from local residents and ultimately rejected by officials in Leavenworth County and the city of Tonganoxie.
Tyson “chose western Tennessee over potential sites in other states,” the company said, adding that the other sites are still under consideration for future poultry production projects.
