Koch Foods has invested $60 million in establishing a grain storage and distribution facility in Attalla. The company added that the Attalla facility supports the company’s expanded processing plant in nearby Gadsden. The new distribution facility created 32 jobs with an annual payroll of $1 million.
The Attalla facility is designed with technologically advanced features for maximum efficiency.
“We announced this project in November of 2019 and to bring it to fruition on time during a pandemic speaks highly to the cooperation of all those involved, the Koch employees, the contractors, the state, the city and all the local agencies,” said Mark Kaminsky, COO of Koch. “It is this cooperation that has led Koch to invest over $400 million in Alabama over the last five years.”
In 2018, Koch invested $80 million in its Gadsden plant as part of a growth project, including 200 new jobs. That project added a fourth processing line to the facility, boosting production capacity and making the Etowah County operation one of the largest poultry-processing plants in the country.
“We’re excited that Koch Foods has chosen Attalla for this large, high-tech facility. We are thankful to have 32 new, high-paying jobs in our community and this facility will build on the strong focus on industry and innovation that are woven into the history of Attalla,” said Mayor Larry Means.
David Hooks, executive director of the Gadsden-Etowah Industrial Development Authority, added, “This project qualifies for two of the industrial sectors the Gadsden-Etowah Industrial Development Authority has targeted — logistics and food and farming. Today’s announcement will go a long way in solidifying Etowah County’s position as a national leader in both sectors.”
Founded in 1985, Koch Foods, based in Illinois, has locations across Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Mississippi, Ohio and Tennessee. It is one of the nation’s largest vertically integrated poultry producers and has more than 13,000 employees, of which 3,700 are in Alabama.
