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1.800.ARKANSAS

Food & Beverage

Recipe for Success

Arkansas knows the food and agribusiness industry. We're home to Tyson Foods, one of the world’s largest food companies, and manufacturing facilities for some of the top companies in the industry, including PepsiCo, Nestle, JBS USA, Kraft Heinz, and many others. We're also an agricultural leader, producing 49 percent of all the rice in the United States. The Arkansas Economic Development Commission works diligently to assist food and beverage companies looking to expand or relocate.

 

Why Arkansas?

This high-energy video showcases multiple business leaders talking about why being in Arkansas is good for business, not only for their organization but also for their employees.

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You're in good company

At AEDC, we know economic advancement doesn’t happen by accident. We work strategically with businesses and communities to create strong economic opportunities, making Arkansas the natural choice for success. Here are some examples of businesses that are thriving!

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Food and Beverage Industry in Arkansas
  • #1 in rice production
  • #2 in poultry and eggs
  • #3 in broilers
  • #3 in catfish (food size)
  • #3 in cotton, cotton lint, and cottonseed
  • #3 in food grains
  • #5 in turkeys
  • #7 in peanuts
  • #11 in soybeans
  • At the end of 2023, there were 476 food and beverage companies in Arkansas, employing 55,616 people.
  • Between 2015 and 2022, there have been 111 economic development projects in the food and beverage manufacturing industry, with 6,794 new jobs and $2.9 billion of proposed investments.
  • The growth rate of the food and beverage industry from 2017 to 2022 was 6 percent in Arkansas.
  • 8 of the top 10 food and beverage companies by revenue in the world have manufacturing facilities in the state.
  • Arkansas has the 5th largest percentage of food processing workers in the U.S.
  • 476 companies employ 55,616 Arkansans in the food and beverage industry at the end of 2023.
  • The state offers a wide range of education and training programs for food and agribusiness industry professional.

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Food Processing Industry