Tyson Foods
Tyson will move 300 information technology employees as part of its commitment to revitalize Springdale's historic downtown business district.
 
SPRINGDALE, Ark. –  Situated on seven acres where the company’s original headquarters was located, officials with Tyson Foods Inc. commemorated the grand opening of a refurbished building in downtown Springdale, which will be home to about 300 information technology (IT) employees. The history-rich 56,000-sq.-ft. building, located at 319 E. Emma Ave., is constructed using reclaimed wood from company’s former headquarters and the nearby Brown Hatchery building. The building is designed with employee-friendly features, including bicycle parking, designated shuffleboard and bocce ball areas as well as an on-premise garden.

“Our goal has been to work collaboratively with the Downtown Springdale Alliance, the Chamber of Commerce and business leaders to bring new life to Emma Avenue, said John Tyson, Tyson’s chairman of the Nov. 14 grand opening of what is referred to as “Tyson Emma.”

“Today, we’ve taken another step in reaching that goal and achieving our collective vision of transforming downtown Springdale,” Tyson said.

In 2014, Tyson embarked on its downtown revitalization efforts by donating $1 million to the Downtown Springdale Alliance. In 2016, it opened a renovated a 28,000-sq.-ft. building at 516 Emma Ave., where approximately 100 office workers are now based.

The newest addition is home to a team of IT professionals working to transform Tyson’s operations to a cloud-based technology system.

“We’re proud to be a part of the continued revitalization of downtown Springdale, but also excited for the opportunity to help usher in a new era of innovation and technology to the area,” said Scott Spradley, chief technology officer.