EAGLE MOUNTAIN CITY, Utah, May 16, 2019 (Gephardt Daily) — Eagle Mountain officials announced Thursday that Tyson Fresh Meats will invest almost $300 million to build a food production plant in the city.
The facility will initially provide 800 jobs and is expected to expand to 1,200 positions within three years after opening, said a news release from Eagle Mountain City.
The plant, a subsidiary of Tyson Foods, Inc., will be a case ready meat-cutting and packaging operation that converts fresh beef and pork, brought in from other locations, into steaks, chops, roasts and ground beef, the news release said. The product is placed in trays, weighed and labeled, and then shipped to retailers for sale in grocery store meat cases.
“We welcome Tyson Fresh Meats to Eagle Mountain,” Mayor Tom Westmoreland said in a prepared statement. “This facility will provide jobs for our community, allowing people to work closer to home. It will also bring needed infrastructure, especially roads that will provide better east/west connection to the Cedar Valley.
“Tyson Foods is the second Fortune 100 company to invest in our city and we look forward to a great community partnership.”
Tyson Fresh Meats is the beef and pork unit of Tyson Foods, Inc., one of the nation’s leading food companies, the news release said. The business currently operates case ready plants in Iowa, Tennessee and Texas. Starting wages for hourly employees at its existing facilities currently range from $14.40 to $16.50 per hour, with Tyson Foods offering health care benefits, 401(k) and the opportunity for advancement. Some skilled positions start at $20 per hour. Annual local payroll is projected at $44 million, the news release said.
“We’re grateful for the invitation to come to Eagle Mountain and Utah County,” said Nate Hodne, senior vice president and general manager of case ready meats for Tyson Fresh Meats. “We’ve built some great relationships during the initial phases of this process, and we appreciate the strong support we’ve received from local leadership. Our team is excited to find upcoming opportunities to meet the people of Eagle Mountain and become a part of this vibrant community.”
The Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) previously announced the project would be locating in Utah, adding an estimated $27 million in new state tax revenue over the next 10 years. It is anticipated the project will have more than a $1 billion economic impact in the first 10 years due to construction of the facility, salaries, taxable sales and other investments in the local economy, the news release said.
