The construction of the future Tyson Foods poultry complex in Humboldt, Tennessee, is progressing nicely, Noel White, the company’s chief executive officer said.
“The plant is on schedule. We expect it to open at the end of next (calendar) year,” White said during a conference call with journalists on November 12. “The hatchery and feed mill are nearly complete.”
Tyson Foods announced in 2017 it would build the new $300 million complex, which would have the capacity to process 1.25 million birds a week. Ground was broken on the facility in May 2018.
While White said it would be near the end of 2020 when the poultry plant would open, it would likely not be until the following year until the facility reached full production.
“The ramp-up phase will accrue over a period of time. 2021 is when we would expect the ramp-up to take place,” said White.
Tyson announced its intent to build a poultry complex in the Gibson County community of Humboldt after it backed away from its earlier plans to construct the complex in Leavenworth County, Kansas, amid public opposition and withdrawn support from area elected officials.
This is the second major economic development project Tyson Foods has initiated in Tennessee in recent history. In August, 2017, the company announced an $84 million expansion of its Union City operations, which is expected to create about 300 jobs, in addition to the more than 1,000 jobs currently at the facility. Including Union City, the company currently operates four facilities in the state, employing about 5,000 with an annual payroll of more than $181 million.
Tyson Foods, according to the WATTAgNet Top Poultry Companies Database, is the largest poultry company in the world and the second largest in the world. In 2018, the company processed 192.33 million pounds of ready-to-cook chicken on a weekly basis.
