Tyson Fresh Meats plans $300m food production plant in Utah

Tyson Fresh Meats, a subsidiary of Tyson Foods, will invest almost $300 million to build a food production plant in Utah.

The new facility will be a case-ready plant, involved in converting large cuts of beef and pork into steaks, chops, roasts and ground meat that are placed in trays, weighed and labelled and then shipped to retailers.

Tyson Fresh Meats is the beef and pork unit of Tyson Foods. The business currently operates case-ready plants in Iowa, Tennessee and Texas, and hopes to open the Utah facility by the end of 2021.

Nate Hodne, senior vice president and general manager of case-ready meats for Tyson Fresh Meats, said: “We’re excited about building a new food plant in Utah and appreciate the state’s support and the exceptional people we’ve met.

“We believe Utah is a great location because of the availability of labour and property and the access to highways and rail. Once built, the new facility will help us meet growing demand for case-ready meat in the western US.”

The Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) announced the project, which will initially provide 800 jobs and is expected to expand to 1,200 positions within three years after opening.

“We are pleased that Tyson Foods, a Fortune 100 company, has selected Utah to build its newest facility,” said Val Hale, executive director of GOED. “This well-known company has a long history and great reputation. It will allow them to have better distribution and access to the western states.”

According to GOED, Tyson has assessed several potential plant sites in the Salt Lake City area and is currently collaborating with local officials at one of the locations to confirm all needed infrastructure and other support will be available.

In February, Tyson Foods agreed to acquire the Thai and European operations of Brazilian meat giant BRF, in a deal worth around $340 million. The move sees Tyson acquire four poultry processing facilities in Thailand, one in the Netherlands and one in the UK.

Tyson said that this acquisition builds on its growth strategy to expand its value-added protein offerings in international markets.