RICHMOND, VA. — Tyson Foods, Inc. has announced plans to invest $300 million to build a 325,000-square-foot production facility that will primarily make the company’s fully cooked products, which include Any’tizer Snacks and Chicken Nuggets. As part of the agreement, Tyson committed to buying 60 million lbs of chicken raised by Virginia producers over the next three years.

The new facility will be located in Cane Creek Centre, an industrial park jointly owned by the City of Danville and Pittsylvania County. Tyson Foods has operated in Virginia for more than 50 years and employs more than 2,000 people across the state in its hatchery, grain and processing operations in the Glen Allen area in Henrico County and in Temperanceville on the Eastern Shore. Virginia beat out North Carolina for the project, which will create 376 new jobs.

“As consumers actively look to add more protein to their diets, Tyson is uniquely positioned as a category leader to meet that growing demand,” said Noelle O’Mara, president of Prepared Foods. “Our continued focus on consumer driven innovation will accelerate this momentum and our investment in Danville-Pittsylvania County will help drive the long-term growth of the iconic Tyson brand.”

To support the project, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam approved a $3.048 million grant from the Commonwealth’s Opportunity Fund and a $3 million performance-based grant from the Virginia Investment Performance Grant, an incentive that encourages continued capital investment by existing Virginia companies, to assist Danville-Pittsylvania County with the project. Northam also approved a $500,000 grant from the Governor’s Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development Fund that supports projects sourcing Virginia-grown products.

The Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission approved $1.5 million from the Tobacco Region Opportunity Fund for the project. Tyson is eligible to receive state benefits from the Major Business Facility Job Tax Credit for new, full-time jobs created, as well as benefits from the Virginia Enterprise Zone Program, administered by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development.

“Our company has been successfully working in the Commonwealth of Virginia for decades,” said David Bray, group president of Poultry for Tyson Foods. “We’re thankful for the invitation to become a part of the City of Danville and Pittsylvania County communities. The location is appealing because of the strong support from both state and local leaders, as well as the viability of labor in the region.”

Support for Tyson Foods’ job creation will be provided through the Virginia Talent Accelerator Program, a workforce initiative created by the Virginia Economic Development Partnership in collaboration with the Virginia Community College System and other higher education partners.

“When corporate partners reinvest in the Commonwealth, it is a strong endorsement of the many attributes that make Virginia the best state for business,” Mr. Northam said. “Tyson Foods has been a major employer in Virginia for more than five decades and continues its growth trajectory with this new operation in Danville-Pittsylvania County, creating hundreds of quality jobs for the citizens of Southern Virginia. We look forward to many years of success.”

For more meat industry news, check out meat and poultry page.