Tyson Foods plans to convert an idle factory in South Carolina to cut and pack fresh beef and pork for grocery stores along the East Coast.
The Columbia ready-to-use meat factory will employ 330 people and initially cost $ 42 million to renovate, Tyson said on Wednesday. There are plans in the next three to five years to invest in improvements and new equipment, resulting in a total investment of R $ 55 million.
The plant will employ more than twice the number of workers it had when it closed in August and will expand Tyson’s production to meet growing demand, the company said. Production is expected to resume in May.
“We are pleased to bring operations back to Columbia and are very grateful for strong state and local support,” said Nate Hodne, senior vice president and general manager of Tyson Fresh Meats, a beef and pork subsidiary, in a statement by written .
Tyson has beef and pork factories in Iowa, Tennessee and Texas, with plans to open a unit in Utah later this year. Products that can be placed directly in supermarkets for sale are considered “ready to use”.