BENTON COUNTY, Ark. – Simmons Prepared Foods Inc., a Siloam Springs Arkansas-based poultry company, announced on Sept. 27 plans to build a $300 million chicken facility in northwestern Arkansas, between Decatur and Gentry. The project is expected to create approximately 1,500 new jobs, raising the total number of workers to more than 2,300 by 2022 in Benton County.

The facility will produce fresh and frozen chicken products for retail and foodservice customers. At full capacity the new plant could produce 850 million lbs. of poultry meat annually when it opens in 2019. The deal also creates new contracts with area farmers.

Todd Simmons, CEO of Simmons Foods

“We’re thrilled to bring this project to our community and are grateful for the cooperation from the cities of Decatur and Gentry, local officials, Arkansas Economic Development Commission and the State of Arkansas,” said Todd Simmons, CEO of Simmons Foods. “This project positions us to continue meeting our customers’ needs.”

Simmons currently operates feed mills, hatcheries, business offices and processing facilities in the Decatur area. Some of those operations will be consolidated to the new facility when it is finished.

In July, Simmons Feed Ingredients, an affiliate of Simmons Foods Inc., opened a 72,000-sq.-ft. ingredient facility in Siloam Springs, Arkansas. The company invested around $30 million in the facility that will produce fresh and frozen meat ingredients for pet food manufacturers. The project is expected to create 78 jobs. 

The MEAT+POULTRY’s processing industry top 100 list in March listed Simmons Prepared Foods annual sales at $860 million, with six processing plants and approximately 4,000 employees.