Tyson Fresh Meats, Inc., a Lexington, Neb.-based wholly owned subsidiary of Tyson Foods, Inc., is investing $27 million to expand the production capacity of its case-ready beef and pork plant in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

The project will include a 55,000-square-foot addition for new production lines and warehouse space and increase the plant’s capacity to produce fresh ground beef, beef and pork cuts and meal kits for retail grocers. The expansion is scheduled to be completed in July 2017, and is expected to add 350 jobs, bringing total employment at the plant to more than 1,400.  

In addition to the case-ready facility, the company has a pepperoni plant in Council Bluffs and a bacon plant in Omaha, Neb. The company employs approximately 2,000 residents in the Omaha-Council Bluffs metro area.

“This project is great news for our plant, our community and our customers,” says Steve Friedrichsen, complex manager of the Council Bluffs plant. “We are committed to the Council Bluffs community, and look forward adding more jobs with this expansion, while also meeting the growing demand for case-ready products.”