Food Processing

Home to some of the nation’s largest protein processors, the Etowah region has the space and climate to cultivate, produce, process and grow any kind of crop or livestock. With 815% more poultry processors and 333% more flour mills than the US national average, the innovation and development happening in Etowah County is cutting edge. Come be part of the future of food.

OUR WORKFORCE

Restaurant Cooks

Meat, Poultry and Fish Cutters/Trimmers

Food Preparation Workers

Laborshed Data

Food Processing Companies in our Laborshed

30 Poultry Processing

16 Breweries

8 Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering

7 Coffee and Tea Manufacturing

5 Food Product Machinery Manufacturing

16 Other Animal Food Manufacturing

11 Commercial Bakeries

7 Ice Cream and Frozen Dessert Manufacturing

7 Soft Drink Manufacturing

5 Ice Manufacturing

Food Processing Companies vs U.S. Average

815% more Poultry Processing

333% more Flour Milling

304% more Soybean and Other Oilseed Processing

118% more Coffee and Tea Manufacturing

60% more Industrial Building Construction

261% more Aluminum Foundries (except Die-Casting)

485% more Fats and Oils Refining and Blending

314% more Ice Cream and Frozen Dessert Manufacturing

125% more Soft Drink Manufacturing

86% more Ice Manufacturing

53% more Plastics Bag and Pouch Manufacturing

Skilled Labor in our Laborshed

25,258 Combined Food Preparation and Serving Workers, Including Fast Food

8,195 Cooks, Restaurant

5,392 Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria

4,106 Cooks, Fast Food

1,583 Food Service Managers

8,368 First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers

7,191 Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers

4,917 Food Preparation Workers

1,833 Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers

1,438 Cooks, Short Order

Skilled Labor vs U.S. Average

559% more Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers

77% more Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria

27% more First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers

152% more Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders

44% more Food Processing Workers, All Other

17% more Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders

GROWTH OCCUPATIONS

24% more Combined Food Preparation and Serving Workers, Including Fast Food

23% more Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders

17% more Cooks, Restaurant

15% more Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other

14% more Food Preparation Workers

24% more First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers

18% more Bakers

15% more Chefs and Head Cooks

14% more Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals

11% more Cooks, Fast Food

REDSTONE ARSENAL

Redstone Arsenal is located along the Tennessee river and spans 38,248 acres. It has served as the Army's center for missile and rocket programs for over 50 years. Some of the programs in the garrison include the United States Army Materiel Command, the Army's Aviation and Missile Command, the Missile Defense Agency of the Department of Defense, the Tactical UAV Project Office, Redstone Test Center (RTC), the Missile Defense Agency, the Missile and Space Intelligence Center, and other operations.

It also hosts NASA's George C. Marshall Space Flight Center which focuses on propulsion analytics and development. With the development of the Saturn rockets in the 1960s and later the Space Shuttles, it is still one of the leading centers for space vehicle research and design.

Area Food Processing Companies

Koch Foods Inc.

One of the largest vertically integrated poultry processors in the country.

Leads the innovation curve for the poultry industry by investing millions every year upgrading production facilities.

Keystone Foods

Global food services company supplying consumer brands

Provider of frozen animal products, including poultry, beef, fish and pork

Sells to quick service restaurants, retail outlets, and commercial & consumer brands

Tyson Foods Inc.

Has the fastest growing portfolio of protein-centric brands.

Produces 1 in 5 pounds of chicken, beef and pork in the U.S.

122k team members make up the Tyson Foods family and play key roles in their success.

Dean Sausage Company

Private company based out of Attalia, AL

Wholesale food supplier and manufacturer of country-style sausage

BMW

Produces whole muscle protein items for the food service, retail and national account customer base in the U.S.

Founded in 1988

Subsidiary of OK Foods, Inc.

OUR COMPANIES

0% MORE

Poultry Processors

Than the US National Average

0% MORE

Fats and Oils Refiners and Blenders

Than the US National Average

0% MORE

Flour Millers

Than the US National Average

EDUCATION

GADSDEN STATE

Offers a Poultry Science Degree

Partnership program between Auburn University and Wallace State

Jacksonville State’s Gadsden Center

Applied Manufacturing Engineering

Applied Electronics Engineering

ETOWAH COUNTY CAREER TECHNICAL CENTER

All programs at the Etowah County Career Tech Center are business/industry certified by the Alabama State Department of Education or by private certifying agencies. The trade and industry programs have articulation agreements with all community colleges in Alabama, in which program completers may receive free college credit toward a degree for skills they learned in high school. Many program completers receive scholarships to colleges or technical institutes for continued training and are assisted in future job placement.

Programs at Etowah County Career Technical Center include Engineering Design, Electrical Technology, Electronics Technology, Automotive Technology, Precision Machining, Welding, Collision Repair, Construction Technology, Early Childhood Education, and Health Science.