Tyson Foods has opened a new fully-cooked food production facility in Danville, Virginia, delivering on its strategy to accelerate long-term growth and improve operating efficiency.
Tyson Foods has invested $300 million (€275.2 million) in the new facility, which is one of its 'most-automated plants' to date, according to the company.
The 325,000-square-foot facility will produce approximately four million pounds of fully-cooked poultry products weekly to meet the increasing demand for Tyson brand products in retail and food service.
The facility, located in the Cane Creek Centre, has created nearly 400 new jobs in the southeastern Virginia region.
Donnie King, president and CEO of Tyson Foods said, "Danville represents a significant commitment to the region and we take our responsibility to enhance the communities where we live and work seriously.
"This plant is also a significant step toward our ongoing goal of operational excellence by investing in innovative technology and automation. This facility delivers on our commitment to ensuring best-in-class service for our customers and accelerating our long-term growth."
Highlights
The new facility features high-speed automated case packing lines and high-speed robotic case palletising units to maximise operational efficiency and increase overall team member safety.
It also includes a product inspection process that incorporates metal detection, X-ray, and vision grading to ensure the quality of products manufactured at the site.
The Danville facility is also the company’s first at-scale integration of wearable armband devices to improve worker health, safety and productivity, Tyson Foods noted.
The award-winning solution integrates technology featuring sensors that relay environmental data to safety managers to identify risk exposures better.
Wes Morris, group president of poultry at Tyson Foods added, "The Danville plant incorporates the latest technology that brings real-time intelligence to our processes, products and workplace experience for team members."
The company has partnered with Danville Community College to create a Maintenance Technology training programme to support the growing field of industrial maintenance with competitive pay and many opportunities throughout the company.
Earlier this month, Tyson Foods forecast revenue for its next fiscal year below Wall Street estimates after missing fourth-quarter revenue expectations, hit by falling chicken and pork prices as well as slowing demand for its beef products.
