Tyson Foods commits $110m to renovate central Georgia plant

The capital improvement project, which began in mid-January and is slated for completion in mid-2015, is expected to create 500 jobs.

Worth Sparkman, Tyson Foods’ manager of public relations told FoodProductionDaily that the renovation will completely convert the Vienna plant’s operations from producing chicken for foodservice customers to harvesting, processing and tray-packing fresh chicken for retail.

The renovation will add about 100,000 sq ft to the facility and will include upgrades such as new equipment and production lines, according to a Tyson news release. “​We're not in a position to share details about the [new] equipment,”​ Sparkman said.

Tyson also will implement “processes and technology designed to benefit food safety, quality and workplace safety” ​during the renovation, the news release said. Sparkman said he could not elaborate on or provide examples of those processes and technologies.

Training days

"The existing infrastructure, location and the availability of workers make the Vienna plant ideal for this expansion project,"​ said Noel White, president of poultry for Tyson Foods. "This project will improve the plant's product mix and make it even more cost competitive."​

Given the relatively brief timetable for the renovation, Tyson officials said they will begin reviewing qualified applicants immediately to help ensure the plant is fully staffed. “Many of the positions will be filled before the project is complete so new workers will have an opportunity for job training,”​ company officials stated.

Assisting Tyson in training both new and existing workers will be the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDED). The Department will not only provide qualified job tax credits, but will leverage the Technical College System of Georgia's Quick Start program to help Tyson build and maintain its workforce.

Quick Start is a free program designed to update employees’ skill sets. Claiming to be the oldest program of its kind in the US, Quick Start customizes training for employees in a number of industries. The program has updated the skill sets of more than 1 million employees in 6,500 projects, according to GDED officials.

Existing resources

"We're grateful to the Georgia Department of Economic Development and everything it has done to make this project possible,"​ White said.

Currently, the Vienna facility employs about 700 people, and generates an annual payroll of more than $15.6m. Tyson purchased the Vienna plant in 1995.

In addition to the plant’s employees, in FY2014 Tyson paid family farmers more than $30m to grow chickens to supply the company's Georgia operations.