Tyson Foods is ramping up its hiring efforts for its upcoming poultry processing plant in Danville, Va., which is scheduled to open in September. The company is investing $300 million in this new facility, marking a significant milestone as it is the second poultry plant built by Tyson in 25 years.
Plant manager Nancy Frank expressed excitement about expanding the team in Danville and highlighted the positive impact of the investment on the entire company. The 325,000-square-foot plant will focus on producing fully cooked poultry products and is expected to employ nearly 400 people.
The workforce will consist of 46 managers with an average yearly salary of $71,000, and 350 hourly positions paying approximately $64,000. Currently, Tyson has around 110 employees at the site and plans to hire an additional 50 to 75 people in the coming weeks.
The Danville plant will also create more than 60 maintenance and technology positions, with salaries ranging from $43,442 to $103,442 per year.
Tyson assured that the facility will be highly automated, with a focus on preparing and cooking pre-cut chicken. It will not engage in whole-bird processing. The company emphasized that the plant will be a clean, modern, and pleasant working environment.
Despite receiving over $8 million in state funds for this new facility, Tyson faced criticism from the union representing 700 workers at a previously closed plant in the state. Despite this, Tyson currently employs 3,600 people in Virginia across its other facilities in Glen Allen and Temperanceville.
