Tyson Foods on Thursday announced plans to build a $136 million facility in Green Forest.
The Carroll County town, with a population of nearly 3,000, already has a Tyson plant employing more than 1,250 people. The new 200,000-square-foot facility would be across the street from the existing plant, where Tyson produces partially cooked chicken products, including nuggets and portioned fillets.
Tyson Foods is the largest employer in Carroll County, county officials said, providing jobs for about 5 percent of the county population. The new plant would provide about 85 additional jobs.
Tyson is waiting on the Carroll County Quorum Court to approve a tax abatement and on tax credits from the Arkansas Economic Development Commission. County officials were told about the construction plan Wednesday night and are scheduled to vote on the tax abatement at a Monday night meeting.
Charles Reece, mayor of Green Forest, said he expects county approval of the tax break without a problem.
"We're ready," he said. "Tyson's been good to this county and to the city of Green Forest."
Poultry has a long history in Green Forest and is a vital part of the town's economy. The original poultry plant was built by Franz Foods in 1959. Tyson purchased the plant in 1967, a year before Tyson acquired all of Franz Foods.
In 1983, waste from the plant leaked into a creek and into the town's drinking water, sickening residents. Gov. Bill Clinton declared the town a disaster area.
Reece said the incident is mostly forgotten in Green Forest, and he and the town are focusing on the economic growth the plant could provide.
"We've got an A-plus crew of operators down at our wastewater plant," he said. "We've really not had any huge issues since then, at least as long as I've been here."
In fiscal 2015, Tyson paid more than $29 million to the chicken farmers in Green Forest and nearby Berryville who supply chickens to the company's plants there.
Construction will begin in summer and be completed in late 2017 if the tax abatement and tax credits are approved.
"This project would allow us to better serve our food-service customers through improved product mix and greater d̶e̶f̶i̶c̶i̶e̶n̶c̶i̶e̶s̶ efficiencies*," said Noel White, president of poultry for Tyson Foods, in a news release. "This is the first new plant construction project Tyson Foods has proposed to build in a number of years and we're hopeful we can partner with Carroll County and the AEDC to invest in our home state."
Reece said the new Tyson plant would have the potential to draw more people to the area.
"Once one big company decides to do something, others follow," he said. "It's pretty exciting for our little town."
Business on 04/15/2016
*CORRECTION: Noel White, president of poultry for Tyson Foods, said a new plant in Green Forest would allow the company “to better serve our food-service customers through improved product mix and greater efficiencies.” White’s quote was incorrectly reported in this article.