Tyson Targeting Former Cargill Turkey Plant in Springdale, Arkansas

Tyson Foods is working to acquire the former Cargill turkey plant in Springdale, Ark., according to several news reports covering the city council meeting, at which Nathan McKay, president of Tyson’s Poultry division, appeared this week.

According to reports, McKay shared with the city council that Tyson is looking to acquire the facility, which was shuttered by Cargill in August 2025, and would renovate it into a chicken further-processing and portioning plant. Tyson has requested the issuance of a bond for industrial development from the city in order to proceed with the purchase.

Tyson’s anticipated investment in upgrades and outfitting the facility range between $90 million and $130 million, according to the media report.

Although having an operating facility at the site would bring back some of the jobs lost in August, Tyson would not be putting up a facility that could replace all 1,100 jobs lost. Eventually, Tyson said the facility could employ as many as 200 workers (though few jobs would be created at first), and it could consolidate other facilities’ operations into the Springdale plant, once it was up and running. Tyson did not foresee the need for poultry slaughter operations at the facility at this time, McKay said.

Cargill announced back in January that it would shut down operations at the turkey plant on Aug. 1 of this year, laying off more than 1,100 employees.