Tyson Foods is investing in innovation. The operator recently opened a new $300 million, fully cooked food production facility in Danville, Virginia. It is reportedly one of the company’s most automated plants to date, marking the deployment of innovation pilots and prototypes at scale.
“Danville represents a significant commitment to the region, and we take our responsibility to enhance the communities where we live and work seriously. This plant is also a significant step toward our ongoing goal of operational excellence by investing in innovative technology and automation,” said Donnie King, President and Chief Executive Officer. “This facility delivers on our commitment to ensuring best-in-class service for our customers and accelerating our long-term growth.”
The 325,000-square-foot facility represents a significant investment in the local community and will produce approximately 4 million pounds of premium-quality, fully cooked poultry products weekly. The facility has created nearly 400 new jobs for the southeastern Virginia region.
The Danville facility features high-speed automated case packing lines and robotic case palletizing units. The technology helps to maximize operational efficiency and increase overall team member safety, according to a press release. It also includes a product inspection process that incorporates metal detection, X-ray, and vision grading.
The facility is also the company’s first at-scale integration of wearable armband devices to improve worker health, safety, and productivity.
“The combination of our team and technology at Danville will strengthen our ability to better meet demand for retail and foodservice fully cooked Tyson brand products,” said Wes Morris, Group President, Poultry. “The Danville plant incorporates the latest technology that brings real-time intelligence to our processes, products, and workplace experience for team members.”
The company has also partnered with Danville Community College to create a Maintenance Technology training program to support the growing field of industrial maintenance with competitive pay and many opportunities throughout the company.
Stay tuned to see where Tyson expands to next.
