Oklahoma City OK-based Dorada Poultry will occupy the former 180,000-square-foot Tyson Foods facility at 2000 Hall Boulevard in Ponca City OK. The plant, which is scheduled to become operational in mid-2011, will provide chicken products to McDonald’s US restaurants and is expected to employ about 350 employees, five days per week, 24 hours a day.
Dorada Poultry is a joint venture between principals of Lopez Foods Inc (LFI) of Oklahoma City, a Hispanic-owned meat manufacturing company; and Tyson Foods of Springdale AR, a leading processor and marketer of chicken, beef, and pork products.
“We are proud to become members of the Ponca City business community and look forward to becoming a model of corporate citizenship,” said Ed Sanchez, Dorada Poultry chairman and chief executive officer. “With an anticipated economic impact of $7 million per year in payroll, we will make a major economic contribution to the region where our employees will live, work, and play.”
“This innovative venture will enable us to expand Tyson’s involvement in providing a reliable supply of safe, consistent quality chicken that meets McDonald’s high standards,” said Donnie Smith, president and chief executive officer of Tyson.
An economic impact model developed by the Ponca City Development Authority (PCDA) forecasts the Dorada Poultry plant will contribute $217 million to the Ponca City community over the next 10 years.
Dorada Poultry principals also operate LFI, which specializes in protein products such as fully cooked beef patties, breakfast sausage, and chicken, individually quick-frozen (IQF) beef patties, and other pork, beef, and chicken products. LFI operates an 185,000-sq-ft processing facility in Oklahoma City with a workforce of 500 and is also the parent company of Campos Foods Inc, with an 85,000-sq-ft facility in Caryville TN that employs 200 associates.
Tyson Foods provides products and services to customers throughout the United States and more than 90 nations. The company has approximately 117,000 team members employed at more than 400 facilities and offices in the United States and around the world.
