Tyson Foods on Thursday announced it plans to invest $300 million to build a new, fully-cooked chicken facility in Danville, Virginia.
The facility is expected to create nearly 400 jobs when production begins in the spring of 2023. The facility is planned to be 325,000 square feet used primarily for the production of Tyson branded chicken products, including Any-tizer Snacks and chicken nuggets.
Tyson Foods has committed to purchase 60 million pounds of Virginia-grown chicken over the next three years. The facility will be built in Cane Creek Centre, an industrial park jointly owned by the City of Danville and Pittsylvania County, according to Tyson’s press release.
“As consumers actively look to add more protein to their diets, Tyson is uniquely positioned as a category leader to meet that growing demand,” Tyson Foods President of Prepared Foods Noelle O’Mara said. “Our continued focus on consumer driven innovation will accelerate this momentum and our investment in Danville-Pittsylvania County will help drive the long-term growth of the iconic Tyson brand.”
“Our company has been successfully working in the Commonwealth of Virginia for decades,” Tyson Foods Group President of Poultry David Bray said. “We’re thankful for the invitation to become a part of the Danville and Pittsylvania County communities, the support from both state and local leaders, and the presence of such a strong workforce in the region.”
According to Tyson, the company employs more than 2,000 people across Virginia with an annual payroll of more than $76 million, primarily focused in its processing operations in Glen Allen and Temperanceville. Tyson Foods paid Virginia poultry growers more than $37 million in its 2020 fiscal year and estimates its total statewide impact to be $154 million.
