MONROE, NC – Tyson Foods plans to spend $5 million on new equipment at the company’s poultry processing plant in Monroe. The Union County Board of Commissioners and the Monroe City Council awarded separate economic development grants worth a combined $225,000 to secure the project.

“Tyson Foods has been an employer in our city for decades,” Bobby G. Kilgore, mayor of Monroe, said in a news release. “We are so glad the support we demonstrated has resulted in our winning this latest project and securing even more employment opportunities for years to come.”

Tyson Foods employs 1,500 at its Monroe facility, and expansion is expected to create additional jobs. Tyson has owned the plant since 1989 when it acquired the facility from Holly Farms. The facility currently produces chicken for retail customers.