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.
If you’ve never been to Arkansas, you may be quite surprised by just how many trees there are. The state is deservedly well known for being an agricultural producer, which leads many to expect mostly open fields.
However, the reality is that more than half of Arkansas’ total land area is covered by forestland.
Arkansas forests are extremely valuable, both as a natural resource, and as an economic one. To keep up with this resource, the state maintains high quality, annual data, which is important for conservation efforts and for the Arkansas timber industry.
We have a newly updated infographic, The Arkansas Wood Basket by the Numbers, to help you get a sense of the scope and scale of Arkansas’ abundant forestland.
