Tyson Fresh Meats in Louisa County was recently announced to receive tax benefits for plans to change their processing and other functions.

The Iowa Economic Development Authority is awarding Tyson with $537,337 in Investment and Sales, Service, and Use tax credits through their High Quality Jobs program. The award is contingent upon application sponsorship and approval of a local match by the Louisa County Board of Supervisors. While no local match has been made Louisa County Development Executive Director Cole Smith says considerations are being made. This project includes replacing the facility’s traditional stunning process with a new CO2 process. Results from this will help produce better meat quality and avoid the contamination associated with ingesta that is common with traditional stunning systems. Expansions will include investment in new machinery and equipment as well as a modification to the existing facility. Capital investment of the project is nearly $15.4 million and is expected to create 10 jobs, eight of which are incentivized at a wage of $19.65 per hour.