A shiny example of another powerful anchor to the Kentucky Transpark is going to be making that delicious breakfast treat – bacon.

The $355 million Tyson food plant formally opened last week, with a contingent of power players on hand, including Gov. Andy Beshear.

To date, the Kentucky Transpark can fairly be described as a project done well. Multiple industries have located in the north Warren County locale. The Transpark is now nearly twice the size of the 680-acre site, which some fought against several decades ago.

The Tyson plant is a major piece of the productive real estate firmly in play and a staple of success in Warren County’s economy with thousands of jobs already in play, jobs that pay well, support families and contribute to the tax base.

Tyson’s 400,000-square-foot facility has a pay scale that begins at $19 an hour. It also has partnered with the Southern Kentucky Community and Technical College system to provide relevant training and preparation for future employees.

“It gives us a great chance to further develop strong technical talents we seek here in Bowling Green,” said Donnie King, president and CEO of Tyson.

So far, the plant has employed 365 workers, with another 75 openings in play. 

The facility is expected to produce 2 million pounds of bacon a week, and is rife with high technology, such as driverless forklifts and other robotic equipment.

The plant is expected to have a total economic investment over 10 years of around $4 billion, according to Warren County Judge-Executive Doug Gorman.

“It’s a multiplier,” Gorman said. “It’s never just about the first day. It’s about what it’s going to do generationally in the community.”

We are excited about the economic engine the Transpark has become and welcome Tyson into the fold of what continues to be an economically successful Bowling Green and Warren County.