Tyson Fresh Meats, a subsidiary of Tyson Foods, will locate a new plant in Eagle Mountain City, Utah, the company announced on May 16.
The case ready plant will be located in the Pole Canyon development at the southwest end of Eagle Mountain City and is expected to open as soon as 2021.
Tyson made its announcement about a week after the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) revealed Tyson will build in the state. However, the Utah agency did not announce an exact location for the facility.
With the project, Tyson Foods will invest almost $300 million to build a food production plant in the city. The facility will initially provide 800 jobs and is expected to expand to 1,200 positions within three years after opening.
The plant will be a case ready meat-cutting and packaging operation that converts fresh beef and pork, brought in from other locations, into steaks, chops, roasts and ground beef. The product is placed in trays, weighed and labeled, and then shipped to retailers for sale in grocery store meat cases.
“We welcome Tyson Fresh Meats to Eagle Mountain,” Mayor Tom Westmoreland said. “This facility will provide jobs for our community, allowing people to work closer to home. It will also bring needed infrastructure, especially roads that will provide better east/west connection to the Cedar Valley. Tyson Foods is the second Fortune 100 company to invest in our city and we look forward to a great community partnership.”
Tyson Fresh Meats is the beef and pork unit of Tyson Foods, Inc., one of the nation’s leading food companies. The business currently operates case ready plants in Iowa, Tennessee and Texas.
Starting wages for hourly employees at its existing facilities currently range from $14.40 to $16.50 per hour, with Tyson Foods offering health care benefits, 401(k) and the opportunity for advancement. Some skilled positions start at $20 per hour. Annual local payroll is projected at $44 million.
“We’re grateful for the invitation to come to Eagle Mountain and Utah County,” said Nate Hodne, senior vice president and general manager of case ready meats for Tyson Fresh Meats. “We’ve built some great relationships during the initial phases of this process, and we appreciate the strong support we’ve received from local leadership. Our team is excited to find upcoming opportunities to meet the people of Eagle Mountain and become a part of this vibrant community.”
“It’s great to see Tyson Foods expand in Eagle Mountain,” said Val Hale, executive director of the GOED. “New jobs in that area will provide employment opportunities for many city residents who commute to work in the Utah and Salt Lake Valleys. Employment opportunities like this, closer to home, help reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality.”
Tyson Fresh Meats may earn up to 20 percent of the new state taxes they will pay over the 10-year life of the agreement in the form of a post-performance Economic Development Finance (EDIF) tax credit rebate. Each year Tyson meets the criteria in its contract with the state, the company will earn a portion of the total tax credit rebate.
Eagle Mountain City and Alpine School District have approved a Community Reinvestment Project Area for this project and the remaining taxing entities will consider the project for approval at upcoming meetings.
