Tyson Foods intends to sell its poultry complex in Vienna, Georgia, to House of Raeford Farms.
Once the transaction is finalized, House of Raeford intends to continue poultry processing at the complex and offer employment to the existing workforce, the company said in a statement. House of Raeford also said it plans to continue to work with the complex's current network that is already in place.
Tyson Foods, in a press release, stated that its decision to sell the complex is “part of its continued efforts to optimize its plant network.” The company also stated that it intends to continue to service Vienna customer orders from other Tyson facilities.
Terms of the potential transaction have not been disclosed. Tyson Foods stated that the deal is subject to customary closing conditions, including approval by U.S. regulators.
Tyson expanded the Vienna plant in 2015 with an investment of more than $110 million. The project involved the addition of about 100,000 square feet, new equipment and production lines. The company announced at the time that the expansion of that plant would create 500 jobs in Vienna.
Tyson Foods is the largest broiler company in the United States, having processed 218.6 million pounds of ready-to-cook chicken on a weekly basis during the past year. House of Raeford ranks as the ninth largest U.S. poultry producer, having processed 31.12 million pounds of ready-to-cook chicken weekly during the past year.
