Ozark Mountain Poultry announces expansion in Batesville, will add 400 jobs

A decision by a Northwest Arkansas poultry company to consolidate its front half deboning operation will bring 400 new jobs to Northeast Arkansas, company officials said Friday (April 8).

Officials with Ozark Mountain Poultry made the announcement, saying that the deboning lines will begin production April 28. However, because of the consolidation, the company closed its Warren, Ark., facility Thursday (April 7), with the closing impacting about 200 employees.

The company produces chicken for the restaurant industry as well as grocery stores around the country as part of the Forester Farmer’s Market brand. Ozark Mountain CEO Ed Fryar said the space at the new facility as well as reducing its environmental footprint played a role in the decision.

“Consolidation allows us to create greater value for our customers and to simultaneously reduce our carbon footprint. Also, the new facility in Batesville was an unknown at the time we began operations in Warren,” Fryar said. “This was a very difficult decision to make. The quality of the available work force in Warren was very good for us, and we are very appreciative of our Warren-based employees. We encourage them to apply for openings at either of our Batesville or Rogers locations, and will also try to assist them in finding other opportunities in the Warren area. We would also like to thank the officials of the city of Warren and Bradley County for the overwhelming support that they have extended to us during our time in Warren.”

In the announcement, first reported by content partner KAIT, OMP announced that people interested in working at the facility may pick up an application at the Arkansas Department of Workforce Services or the Goodwill office in Batesville.

In summer 2015, company officials announced plans to build a feed mill at nearby Magness as well as buying the old ConAgra building in Batesville. Company officials at the time said consolidating the production into the new building, completed over the Thanksgiving holiday, would help.

“Having both poultry processing lines in the same facility will provide greater efficiencies,” Stephan Barnes, vice president of operations, said, last year. “The size of this new building will also allow us to increase our second processing capabilities.”

As for the announcement Friday, applications are being taken for at least 80 jobs now with the rest being hired in phases as additional production lines are ready, company spokesman Melinda Acoach said.

The consolidation is expected to be complete by August 2016.