Buzz Foods, Charleston, W.V., announced an economic development project to begin in the Kanawha Valley in West Virginia.

Through an Abandoned Mine Lands (AML) Pilot Program administered by the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, Buzz Foods will expand current operations to include a top-of-the line livestock slaughter and processing facility. Construction is set to begin this summer.

“Our planned expansion will serve as an exciting piece of agricultural infrastructure for the region and an important link in the local food supply chain,” says Dickinson Gould, president. “Adding slaughter and value-added processing activities to our current business will create new selling opportunities for local livestock producers, and will help the local meat industry meet consumer demand. West Virginia is home to world-class beef, pork and lamb producers, but much of the value of what is created here is lost when the animals are shipped away to be processed. This project can begin to change that model and create great job opportunities in the process.”

Buzz Foods received the AML grant in 2018, and has been working with several partners, including the West Virginia Department of Agriculture, Charleston Area Alliance, the West Virginia Small Business Development Center, the West Virginia National Guard and Refresh Appalachia to facilitate the project. The new facility will create an estimated 25-30 full-time jobs and an additional 15-20 temporary jobs.