LIVINGSTON, Calif. — Despite reports of talks for a potential buyout with Tyson Foods, Turlock and Livingston’s Foster Farms is moving ahead with a multi-million dollar expansion at its Livingston plant.
Their expansion announcement came from Foster Farms President and CEO Laura Flanagan on Feb. 7 through Merced County.
“Foster Farms is expanding its Livingston operation to allow for future growth and diversification of our customer mix on the West Coast,” Flanagan said in a statement. “Foster Farms first opened a plant in the City of Livingston in 1959. Since then, we have been very pleased with the quality of the workforce, the access the location provides us to California markets, and the partnership of state and local officials in helping us to succeed in California.”
State and local government leadership put together an economic incentive package of $6.5 million with Foster Farms staff. The multi-million dollar investment is expected to expand the facility’s product lines and add more jobs to the 2,032 jobs that the company already provides in Merced County.
Construction for the project is already in motion and there are plans to finish up the project in September.
“Foster Farms is expanding its Livingston operation to allow for future growth and diversification of our customer mix on the West Coast,” Flanagan said in a statement. “Foster Farms first opened a plant in the City of Livingston in 1959. Since then, we have been very pleased with the quality of the workforce, the access the location provides us to California markets, and the partnership of state and local officials in helping us to succeed in California.”
Mark Hendrickson, Director of Community and Economic Development for Merced County, added that company’s expansion was a “major win for the entire Merced County community.”
While the expansion is occurring in Livingston, Foster Farms is also a top 15 major employer in Stanislaus County, where it has its turkey division in Turlock. Information on what, if any, impacts there will be on the Turlock plant was unavailable and additional information regarding the need for the expanded facility was also unavailable.
Fineman PR, which does public relations for Foster Farms, said in an email that the information relayed through Merced County was all the information that was available at this time. A similar sentiment was echoed by Ira Brill, Foster Farm's Director of Communication, saying in an email that the company had nothing further to add.
Before the announcement, CNBC reported that there was conversation about Tyson Foods buying out the locally owned company. A Fineman PR representative told ABC10 that Foster Farms Farms does not comment on speculated mergers and acquisition activity, but they did say that rumors and inquiries have come and gone for decades.
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Tyson Foods, one of the largest food companies in the country, is reported to be talking to the Central Valley's Foster Farms about a possible buyout.