Tyson now looking beyond Tonganoxie, Kansas for poultry plant

Tyson Foods is backing away from its plans to build a new poultry complex in Tonganoxie, Kansas, and instead is looking at other locations to build the $320 million facility. Tyson Foods on September 5 revealed plans to build the poultry complex in Tonganoxie, stating that the complex would include a poultry plant with a capacity to process 1.25 million birds per week, a feed mill and a hatchery. About 1,600 people were expected to be employed at the complex.However, a public forum held on September 15 revealed the sentiment that citizens of Tonganoxie and Leavenworth County did not want Tyson to build there. Before the forum concluded, four state legislators present stated that they would do what they could to prevent Tyson Foods from building in Tonganoxie.Three days later, the Leavenworth County Commission voted 2-1 to rescind a resolution of intent in which the county would issue as much as $500 million in industrial revenue bonds to support the project.