Poultry firm Simmons Foods to add 100 jobs in Fort Smith

Simmons Foods, a Siloam Springs-based poultry company, is adding 100 jobs in Fort Smith as it expands its processing, portioning and cold storage operations, the company announced Tuesday.

The company is renting space from Zero Mountain, a cold and dry storage warehouse company headquartered in Fort Smith.

"We are really excited that Simmons will have a larger presence in our market," said Tim Allen, president of Fort Smith Chamber of Commerce. "It's a big investment and a big footprint for them now in Fort Smith."

The project is a significant investment for the company, but Simmons is unable to share the exact numbers for the project, said Donny Epp, Simmons spokesman.

Simmons employs more than 1,000 people in nearby Van Buren, but this is the company's first foray into Fort Smith.

"We're committed members of this community," said Brian Burke, director of operations at the new facility and at a processing plant in Van Buren. "We really appreciate the support from the people in Fort Smith and Van Buren as we continue to grow and invest here."

The jobs being created by the expansion into the cold storage facility include maintenance, production and management positions.

Workers in these jobs will earn a range of hourly salaries or compensation, Epp said.

Simmons announced last week that starting pay for employees would increase to a minimum $10 an hour, up from a starting rate of $9 an hour. Top hourly pay for plant workers could reach $17 an hour, while maintenance jobs could pay as much as $25 an hour.

New employees at the Zero Mountain facility will also get a $300 bonus to be paid in the first 90 days of their employment.

"With this many positions opening up, there is a lot of opportunity to advance, said Melisa Arellano, talent acquisition manager at Simmons. "There is a lot of room to grow at Simmons."

Last year Zero Mountain increased available space by about 296,000 square feet in Fort Smith as part of a $14 million project. Zero Mountain's other clients include OK Foods, Cargill and Butterball.

"That's why it's so important in economic development to pay attention to your existing companies, because it leads to new jobs," said Allen, who said he worked closely with Zero Mountain expansion project.

Business on 01/20/2016

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