Tyson Foods, Inc., Springdale, Ark., broke ground on the future site of a new incubation center. The completed project will deliver hatching operations for the company’s northwest Arkansas broiler chicken business.
“We have a rich heritage in Springdale, and we’re proud to continue our tradition of investment here with the new incubation center,” says John Tyson, chairman. “Since we’re a company that’s always looking for ways to be better, world-class innovation will be a key part of this building.”
The incubation center will be located at the corner of East Huntsville Avenue and North Monitor Road in east Springdale, and will be built with an emphasis on technology. The company plans to install robotics to assist with worker safety and ergonomics, and use state-of-the-art ventilation and internal environmental controls. The facility will also be built with the latest advances in biosecurity measures, designed to help promote better overall bird health.
The project calls for more than 75,000 square feet of new construction, which is scheduled to be complete in mid-2017. Operations at the incubation center will replace the company’s hatchery in Lincoln, Ark., and the hatchery on Randall Wobbe Road in Springdale, which has been in operation since the 1960s. About 35 people will be employed at the incubation center once fully operational.
In October, the company announced that it would renovate property in the city’s downtown, including its original headquarters located at 319 E. Emma Ave., and the adjacent building at 317 E. Emma Ave. A new two-story, 44,000-square-foot structure will be constructed on the site, preserving the original frontage. Workspace for more than 200 people will be created by the project, which is scheduled to be completed in the second half 2017.
