Tyson Foods on Thursday said it will build a $300 million factory in Danville, Va., to make chicken tenders and nuggets.
The 325,000-square-foot processing facility is expected to create nearly 400 jobs when production begins in the spring of 2023.
The investment is part of the company's long-term growth strategy. Tyson committed itself to purchasing 60 million pounds of chicken grown in Virginia over the next three years.
The plant will be built in an industrial park jointly owned by the city and Pittsylvania County. Tyson said it will be several months before hiring begins there.
In prepared statements, executives and local officials said they are excited about the project.
Tyson paid Virginia poultry growers more than $37 million in fiscal 2020 and estimates its statewide impact to be $154 million. Tyson has processing plants in Glen Allen and Temperanceville.
"We look forward to many years of success," Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam said.