Tyson Foods has plans for a $355 million plant in Bowling Green, Kentucky, in which Jimmy Dean and Wright Brand Bacon products will be produced.
The company will build a 400,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in the Kentucky Transpark. Company leaders anticipate construction will be completed in late 2023.
About 450 full-time jobs will be created when the facility is operational.
“Today, I am proud to announce one of the largest investments in Warren County’s history, and this is a community that has had no shortage of economic success in recent years,” Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said in a press release. “Tyson Foods has a longstanding presence in the commonwealth, and its leaders’ vision for the future will make the company a great fit for Bowling Green and the surrounding region.”
The company has prepared foods operations in Claryville and poultry operations in Albany and Robards. In total, the company currently employs more than 3,900 people throughout Kentucky.
“We are excited to be a part of the Warren County and Kentucky communities that will help us continue to provide the iconic Wright Brand and Jimmy Dean products our consumers and customers desire,” said Noelle O’Mara, group president, prepared foods for Tyson Foods. “As people actively look to add more protein to their diets, Tyson is uniquely positioned as a category leader to meet that growing demand.”
Tyson Foods’ commitment adds to Kentucky’s thriving food, beverage and agritech sector, which includes more than 350 facilities and employs over 52,000 people. Since the start of 2020, new location and expansion projects within the industry are expected to create more than 2,000 full-time jobs with over $1.4 billion in new investments. The project also adds to the commonwealth’s nearly 5,000 manufacturing facilities statewide, which employ more than 250,000 Kentucky residents.
Warren County Judge/Executive Mike Buchanon said the project highlights the region’s ability to serve businesses of every size.
“I’m excited to have Tyson Foods invest in our community and want to thank its leaders and our local and state economic development officials for working together to make this announcement possible,” Judge/Executive Buchanon said. “An investment of this magnitude is a testament to their confidence in our community and we take that very seriously. This decision is further proof that our community has so much to offer businesses, from a diverse and highly trained workforce to a quality of life that is second to none. I’m looking forward to working with Tyson Foods to achieve even more exciting milestones in the future.”
Bowling Green Mayor Todd Alcott welcomed the latest global brand to make its home in the community.
“Job creation of this magnitude by Tyson Foods is an investment in the future of the people of Bowling Green,” Mayor Alcott said. “Tyson Foods is a highly recognizable symbol in homes across the world, and we are excited to now call them a member of our community. We appreciate Tyson Foods’ investment in our community and the high-quality opportunities they will bring to our citizens.”
Ron Bunch, president and CEO of the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce, said Tyson Foods will be a great fit for Warren County and its workforce.
“It was a pleasure to work with Tyson Foods officials and their consultants during their rigorous evaluation of our community,” Bunch said. “This commitment to create a multitude of quality jobs through a major investment by Tyson Foods is absolutely amazing. Additionally, I am confident that Tyson Foods will be an exceptional corporate citizen to our wonderful community. We look forward to this diversification of our economy and working with Tyson Foods to grow here well into the future.”
