Tyson Foods to create 90 jobs at Kentucky poultry plant

Tyson Foods, Inc. announced that its poultry plant in Robards will be hiring about 90 additional workers as a result of an investment the company is making at the facility. The company will spend more than $8 million to install a new freezer and additional work stations.

“This investment will help us meet growing demand for our products,” said Noel White, president of poultry for Tyson Foods. “We’re very proud of our team members in Robards and are pleased to bring additional jobs to the community.”

The Robards plant produces individually quick frozen chicken packaged under the Tyson brand for sale to retail customers throughout the region and nationally.

“The expansion of the Robards facility is good news for our workforce and our economy. I look forward to the company’s success in our region well into the future,” State Sen. Dorsey Ridley said.

Qualified job tax credits

To assist with the expansion, the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority (KEDFA) is providing qualified job tax credits for new capital investment through the Kentucky Business Investment program. “We’re grateful to KEDFA and everything it has done to make this project possible,” White said. “We appreciate doing business in Kentucky and are glad we can invest in our Robards plant.”

The Robards plant was acquired by Tyson Foods in 1998. The facility currently employs about 1,200 people, generating an annual payroll of more than $38 million. In addition, the company spent more than $15 million to purchase Kentucky grain and paid family farmers more than $29 million to grow chickens to supply the plant during its 2014 fiscal year.