Tyson Foods Announces Plan to Build New SW Arkansas Hatchery

March 21, 2023

Less than a week after announcing the closure of two processing facilities, Tyson says it will invest $70 million in a new hatchery in Hope, Ark.

Andy Hanacek

Related To: Tyson Foods Inc.

Tyson Foods is planning to invest $70 million on a new 131,000-square-foot hatchery in Hope, Ark., expecting to triple capacity and supply the company’s processing operations in southwestern Arkansas, according to news reports.

The hatchery is expected to be completed by late 2024 and builds upon a reported $67 million investment in nearby Hempstead County to support the business. It was unclear how many jobs the new hatchery would provide, but it was expected to increase opportunities for contract farmers in the region.

“This investment is another way to demonstrate our long-term commitment to our home state of Arkansas and the Hope and Nashville communities,” Donnie King, president and CEO of Tyson Foods, said in a statement.

The announcement of the new hatchery comes on the heels of last week’s announcement by the company that it would close two chicken processing plants in Van Buren, Ark., and Glen Allen, Va.

About the Author

Andy Hanacek | Senior Editor

Andy Hanacek has covered meat, poultry, bakery and snack foods as a B2B editor for nearly 20 years, and has toured hundreds of processing plants and food companies, sharing stories of innovation and technological advancement throughout the food supply chain. In 2018, he won a Folio:Eddie Award for his unique "From the Editor's Desk" video blogs, and he has brought home additional awards from Folio and ASBPE over the years. In addition, Hanacek led the Meat Industry Hall of Fame for several years and was vice president of communications for We R Food Safety, a food safety software and consulting company.