food processing, food and beverage, food processing arkansas, food, processing, food and bev
Arkansas has an abundance of resources to help food processing companies succeed. The Arkansas Economic Development Commission works directly with food processing companies looking to start-up, expand or relocate. In addition, we assist companies with finding the best incentives so companies are able to make money quickly and efficiently.
There were 522 food and beverage companies in Arkansas at the end of 2022. These companies employed 55,130 people. Arkansas is home to Tyson Foods and numerous other food processing facilities, including Nestle, JBS USA, Kraft Heinz, Mars Inc., Cargill Inc., Hormel Foods Corp, Riceland Foods, Pilgrim’s Pride, ConAgra Brands Inc., Land O’ Frost and Frito-Lay, Inc.
Arkansas has the 5th largest percentage of food processing workers in the United States. The growth rate of the food and beverage industry from 2017 to 2022 was 6 percent in Arkansas.
The food processing industry is booming in Arkansas and continues to grow exponentially. Eight of the top 10 food and beverage companies by revenue in the world have manufacturing facilities in the state.
Arkansas is meeting the workforce needs for food processing companies. The state now has the second-largest number of food processing workers in the US and Arkansas has responded to industry growth by modernizing the workforce.
Why Arkansas?
Executives around the state are answering that question and making the case for Arkansas as a location for doing business. The Arkansas Economic Development Commission has released a new video, as part of our “Executive Voice” series, highlighting a retail executive who is a passionate advocate for Arkansas.
A third-generation Arkansas-based retail executive, Annemarie Dillard Jazic is the Vice President of Online Experience and Digital Marketing for nationally known fashion retailer Dillard’s. As the executive of an Arkansas-grown company, she has firsthand knowledge of the benefits of doing business in Arkansas.
“While many people know us for being a beautiful outdoor state as The Natural State, what many people don’t realize is Arkansas is also home to many wildly successful companies. From the trucking industry to retail to investment banking and agriculture, Arkansas boasts some incredible businesses,” she said.
Watch the video here:
A key benefit for companies looking to move to Arkansas is the collaborative business environment. Companies in Arkansas are often cheerleaders for one another, according to Jazic.
“I do think that in Arkansas, people collaborate well. They support one another – they want to see each other succeed. I think that there’s a real effort made by corporations to work together,” Jazic said. “There’s a lot of pride taken when you see an Arkansas company succeed.”
Work-life balance is a major draw for companies and executives looking at Arkansas. With beautiful outdoors, great recreational opportunities, and a low cost of living, Arkansas is an appealing state for both executives and a wide pool of talent.
“Being in a state with little traffic, a low cost of living, and a community that really cares about one another, it makes it easy to balance work and life,” Jazic said.
See other executives make the case for doing business in Arkansas here.