Tyson Fresh Meats plans to spend $300 million to build a new food production plant in Salt Lake City, Utah.
The facility initially will create 800 jobs and is expected to expand to 1,200 positions within three years after opening.
The new facility, expected to add an estimated $27 million in new state tax revenue over the next 10 years, will be a case-ready plant. It will be involved in converting large cuts of beef and pork into steaks, chops, roasts and ground meat that are placed in retail trays, weighed and labeled and then shipped to retailers to be sold through the grocery meat case.
Tyson Fresh Meats is the beef and pork unit of Tyson Foods Inc. The business currently operates case ready plants in Iowa, Tennessee and Texas and plans to open the Utah facility as soon as 2021.
According to the Governor’s Office of Economic Development, Tyson representatives have assessed several potential plant sites in the Salt Lake City area and are currently collaborating with local officials at one of the locations to confirm all needed infrastructure and other support will be available. Once remaining questions are answered, more information will be shared.
“We’re excited about building a new food plant in Utah and appreciate the state’s support and the exceptional people we’ve met,” said Nate Hodne, SVP and GM of case ready meats for Tyson Fresh Meats. “We believe Utah is a great location because of the availability of labor and property and the access to highways and rail. Once built, the new facility will help us meet growing demand for case ready meat in the western U.S.”
The Utah Legislature has authorized economic development incentives in the form of post-performance tax rebates. Tyson Fresh Meats may earn up to 20 percent of the new state taxes it will pay over the 10-year life of the agreement in the form of a post-performance Economic Development Finance (EDIF) tax credit rebate.
“Tyson Fresh Meat’s expansion demonstrates that Utah is more than a hotbed for software and IT companies. This manufacturing plant will diversify the local economy and provide opportunities for residents to work close to home,” said Theresa Foxley, president and CEO of the Economic Development Corp. of Utah.
