Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
County eyes Simmons plant
Planners review new poultry facility
BENTONVILLE — Benton County planners on Wednesday reviewed plans for a new poultry processing plant for Simmons Foods to be near Gentry.
The Planning Board quizzed the developers during the Technical Advisory Committee portion of the board’s meeting. A public hearing on the proposal was set for Dec. 6.
According to information submitted to the Planning Department, the company plans a 400,000-square-foot poultry processing facility on 563 acres at 9802 S. Arkansas 59. The building site would take up about 100 acres of the property.
David Jackson, Simmons president and chief operating officer for prepared foods, told the board the company needed to move from its location in downtown Decatur because the location is limited and the company plans to expand the operation. Jackson said the company has about 700
employees at the Decatur location and will have about 950 at the new location when it opens.
Over a period of three to four years, the company plans to grow the operation to have up to 2,300 employees, Jackson said,
The plant will operate 24 hours a day from Sunday through Friday with three shifts each day — two production shifts and one cleanup shift, Jackson said.
Jackson estimated the plant will have trucks driving on and off the site at a rate of about one truck every six minutes. Consultants for the company said they are working on a traffic study. Randy Tolbert, one of the consultants, said the Arkansas Department of Transportation will make the decision on whether a traffic light is to be installed at the plant entrance
on Arkansas 59. Turns lanes will be added, he said.
Jackson said the company hopes to break ground on the plant in December and open in the fourth quarter of 2019. He said the operation will shift from the Decatur location to the new plant immediately.
“People will be at the old plant on Friday,” he said. “They will drive 2.2 miles down the road to the new one on Monday.”
The board also approved plans to expand the Centerton animal shelter on five acres at 10404 N. Arkansas 279. The city plans to build a 40-foot by 60-foot addition to the 3,200-square-foot building. Mayor Bill Edwards said the city will be adding 55 kennels. The city now has 18 kennels. Edwards said Centerton will be providing animal control services to Bentonville.