Tyson Foods will invest $355 million to build a state-of-the-art bacon plant in Bowling Green, Kentucky, company officials announced. The project is part of Tyson’s commitment to meet increasing retail and foodservice demand for bacon products to deliver against its strategy of accelerating long-term growth aligned to consumer trends. The new facility is expected to create 450 jobs with production beginning in late 2023.

“We are excited to be a part of the Warren County and Kentucky communities that will help us continue to provide the iconic Wright Brand and Jimmy Dean products our consumers and customers desire,” said Noelle O’Mara, Group President, Prepared Foods for Tyson Foods. “As people actively look to add more protein to their diets, Tyson is uniquely positioned as a category leader to meet that growing demand.”

The company will construct a 400,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art facility, primarily for the production of Wright Brand and Jimmy Dean retail and foodservice products. The plant will feature the latest robotics and automated technologies to increase production efficiency and enhance team member safety at the facility. The facility will be located in the expanded Kentucky Transpark in Bowling Green.

“Today, I am proud to announce one of the largest investments in Warren County’s history, and this is a community that has had no shortage of economic success in recent years,” said Gov. Beshear. “Tyson Foods has a longstanding presence in the commonwealth, and its leaders’ vision for the future will make the company a great fit for Bowling Green and the surrounding region.”

The company employs more than 3,900 people across Kentucky with an annual payroll of more than $168 million. Tyson Foods paid Kentucky growers and suppliers more than $35 million in its 2020 fiscal year and estimates its total statewide impact to be $425 million. The company has Prepared Foods operations in Claryville and Poultry operations in Albany and Robards.

Source: Tyson Foods