Multinational meat and poultry processor Tyson Foods, Inc. proposed building a new $136 million processing facility near its existing poultry plant in Green Forest, Arkansas.

The company says the project is contingent in part on the approval of certain tax incentives from the Carroll County Quorum Court and Arkansas Economic Development Commission. The new facility would create approximately 85 jobs.

“This project would allow us to better serve our foodservice customers through improved product mix and greater efficiencies,” says Noel White, president of poultry for Tyson Foods. “This is the first new plant construction project Tyson Foods has proposed to build in a number of years and we’re hopeful we can partner with Carroll County and the AEDC to invest in our home state.”

Built in 1959 and employing more than 1,250 people, the existing Green Forest plant currently produces a variety of partially cooked chicken products for foodservice and retail customers, including nuggets and portioned fillets. Tyson says the additional 200,000-sq.-ft. facility would increase its partially cooked capacity, increasing efficiency by reducing transportation of products to other locations for further processing.

Plans call for the facilities to be connected by a corridor. Improvements would include new equipment and production lines, as well as processes and technology designed to benefit food safety, quality and workplace safety. Construction could begin as early as summer and the project would be completed in late 2017.