DAKOTA CITY | By this summer, a larger more modern kill floor will open at Tyson Foods' Dakota City beef plant, allowing the sprawling complex to match its slaughter and processing numbers.
Construction, which began in 2012, is entering the final stages, Tyson spokesman Gary Mickelson said.
The $90 million project includes replacing the aging slaughter floor with a larger, more efficient line.
More beef is packed in boxes at Dakota City than at any other plant in the world. But the northeast Nebraska plant currently relies on a supplemental supply of beef carcasses from a satellite slaughter plant in the western Iowa city of Denison.
Two years ago, the meat company warned that operations at the Denison plant could cease after the Dakota City project was finished. But Tyson officials recently told their 380 Denison workers that conditions had changed and there currently are no plans to close the plant.
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Tyson spokesman Gary Mickelson said maintaining the Denison plant included the closing of beef plants by some Tyson competitors, and falling feed prices for cattle, which are "creating more opportunities for keeping beef production viable at Denison,"
About 200 additional production jobs are expected to be created at the expanded Dakota City plant. With nearly 4,000 workers, the complex is already the largest employer in metro Sioux City, providing an annual payroll of more than $140 million.
Hiring for the new Dakota City jobs is expected to begin shortly after completion of the project.
As part of an $80 million project six years ago, Tyson completely rebuilt the original processing areas of the 1966 plant. The latest construction is replacing or updating other areas that are more than 50 years old.
The new slaughter floor will include the latest sanitation and production systems. Ergonomics changes will strengthen worker safety, helping to make certain jobs less physically demanding.
The beef carcass cooler, rendering and box handling operations also are being updated. Changes to the plant's box handling system will involve the installation of additional conveyors and other equipment that will allow the plant to more efficiently handle products.
"We continue to make progress on improvements designed to ensure the Dakota City plant continues to be a state-of-the-art facility, with a product quality and cost structure that will keep it competitive for many years to come," Mickelson said.
During the construction, as many as 200 construction workers have been on site. Mickelson said Tyson has used outside contractors and suppliers, including several tri-state subcontractors. That's helped pump additional dollars into the local economy.
The Dakota City plant produces fresh vacuum packed, boxed beef for sale to wholesalers, retailers, hotels, restaurants and institutions. Bone, fat, trimmings and hides are recovered and used in the making of various foods, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and clothing.
