Tyson Foods has officially opened a new $300 million fully-cooked poultry facility in Danville, Virginia.
It is one of the company’s most-automated plants to date, marking the deployment of innovation pilots and prototypes at scale.
The 325,000-square-foot facility will produce approximately four million pounds of premium quality, fully-cooked poultry products weekly to meet the demand for Tyson brand products, for both retail and foodservice customers.
Located in the Cane Creek Centre, a local business park owned by the City of Danville and Pittsylvania County, the facility has created nearly 400 new jobs for the southeastern Virginia region.
“Danville represents a significant commitment to the region and we take our responsibility to enhance the communities where we live and work seriously. This plant is also a significant step toward our ongoing goal of operational excellence by investing in innovative technology and automation,” said Donnie King, president and CEO, Tyson Foods. “This facility delivers on our commitment to ensuring best in class service for our customers and accelerating our long-term growth.”
Courtesy Tyson Foods
Industry-first technology at Danville
The Danville facility is one of the company’s most highly-automated plants to date, featuring high-speed automated case packing lines and high-speed robotic case palletizing units, the company stated in a press release. The technology helps to maximize operational efficiency and increase overall team member safety. It also includes a product inspection process that incorporates metal detection, X-ray and vision grading to ensure consumers receive high-quality products.
The Danville facility is the company’s first at-scale integration of wearable armband devices to improve worker health, safety and productivity. These devices, for every frontline team member, integrates technology featuring sensors that relay environmental data to safety managers to better identify risk exposures.
“The combination of our team and technology at Danville will strengthen our ability to better meet demand for retail and foodservice fully-cooked Tyson brand products,” said Wes Morris, group president, Poultry, Tyson Foods. “The Danville plant incorporates the latest technology that brings real-time intelligence to our processes, products and workplace experience for team members.”
Governor welcomes new plant
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin was among the officials to attend the dedication ceremony for the new plant.
“The new Danville plant by Tyson Foods means nearly 400 new jobs for Virginians in Southside in a modernized environment built for the 21st century,” said Youngkin. “The commonwealth’s business climate, infrastructure, and skilled workforce facilitate a long-term partnership with Tyson Foods, and we thank the company for reinvesting in Virginia with its operation in Danville-Pittsylvania County.”
Partnership with Danville Community College
Tyson Foods works diligently to ensure team members have the tools and resources they need to be successful. The company has partnered with Danville Community College to create a Maintenance Technology training program to support the growing field of industrial maintenance with competitive pay and many opportunities throughout the company.
