1,000 New Jobs, $165 Million Investment In NE Arkansas Poultry Network

Peco Foods will locate a fully integrated poultry processing network in northeast Arkansas – a $165 million investment expected to create 1,000 new jobs.

The new facilities will include a hatchery, feed mill and processing plant in Randolph and Clay counties. The processing plant and hatchery will locate near Pocahontas and the feed mill will be in Corning.

“We are extremely pleased to formally announce this new project today,” said Mark Hickman, president and CEO of Peco Foods. “Arkansas is an excellent place to do business, and we look forward to providing new jobs and an economic boost to Randolph and Clay counties. As we have experienced firsthand with our complex in Batesville, this state is home to an outstanding workforce that shares the goals and values of our company. I want to thank Governor Beebe and his team for their assistance in making our northeast Arkansas expansion a reality. We look forward to a long and very successful partnership.”

Peco Foods has had a presence in Arkansas since 2011 when the company acquired the Townsends poultry complex in Batesville.

In addition to the Batesville facility, the company also operates a feed mill in Newark, Arkansas. Through acquisitions and expansions, Peco has grown to become the eighth largest poultry producer in the U.S., processing approximately 24 million pounds of poultry each week.

Construction will begin in two phases. Groundbreaking on the feed mill site is set for April and the first stages of work on the hatchery and processing plant site will begin in July.

Hickman said he expected the poultry operation expansion to bring new business to grain providers and chicken growers in the region. He also said it could affect up to 90 local farmers.

Hickman touted the project’s environmental benefits, too. He said there would be state-of-the-art wastewater management and protein conversion processes tied to the operations.

Peco has facilities in Arkansas, Alabama and Mississippi and will employ approximately 6,000 employees after adding the 1,000 new jobs. It handles national accounts, such as Wal-Mart and Buffalo Wild Wings.

The average pay at the processing plant will be $10.86 per hour plus benefits and the feed mill jobs will pay about $13 per hour.

The state of Arkansas ponied up about $4.5 million in community development block grant (CDBG) funds. It also provided performance-based incentives based on workforce goals and some sales tax refunds for building materials and equipment.

Local governments contributed about $700,000 in incentives, while the Delta Regional Authority added about $231,000 to entice the expansion.