Dorada Poultry, a joint venture between the Lopez Foods and Tyson Foods, has said that it will take possession of 180,000sqft Tyson Foods facility located at Ponca City, Oklahoma.
The plant is scheduled to become operational in mid-2011, which will provide chicken products to McDonald's US restaurants and is expected to hire approximately 350 employees.
The Dorada Poultry principals also operate Lopez Foods, which specializes in processed protein products such as fully cooked beef patties, breakfast sausage, and chicken, individually quick frozen (IQF) beef patties and a variety of other pork, beef and chicken products.
Tyson Foods is headquartered in Springdale, Arkansas, a processor and marketers of chicken, beef and pork products.
Dorada Poultry chairman and CEO Ed Sanchez said that the company is proud to become members of the Ponca City business community and look forward to becoming a model of corporate citizenship.
"With an anticipated economic impact of $7m per year in payroll, we will make a major economic contribution to the region where our employees will live, work and play. We want our workforce to be proud to call Dorada Poultry their employer," Sanchez said.
President and CEO of Tyson Donnie Smith said that this innovative venture will enable the company to expand Tyson's involvement in providing a reliable supply of safe, consistent quality chicken that meets McDonald's high standards.
"We look forward to supporting Dorada Poultry's production of great food for a very important customer. An economic impact model developed by the Ponca City Development Authority (PCDA) forecasts the Dorada Poultry plant will contribute $217m to the Ponca City community over the next ten years," Smith said.
