Dorada Foodshosted state and local officials at a formal dedication of its 180,000-square-foot chicken processing facility in Ponca City, Okla. Dorada is one of three chicken product suppliers to McDonald's Corp. and official say the new operation may eventually employ 350 workers.

Dorada is a joint venture of principals fromLopez Foods, Inc.(LFI) of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma - the nation's largest Hispanic-owned meat manufacturing company - andTyson Poultry, Inc., a subsidiary ofTyson Foods, Inc. of Springdale, Ark. 

"We are proud to be contributing members of the Ponca City business community and pleased we will be creating local jobs providing further development for the community," said Dorada Foods Chairman and CEO, Ed Sanchez.  "Dorada Foods is already a major economic stimulus for northern Oklahoma as it begins generating $4 million per year in payroll, growing to approximately $9 million, which will be further augmented by additional business fees, property taxes and purchases of Ponca City goods and services projected to total over $14 million per year."

"We're proud of our collaboration with the experienced team from Lopez Foods and how we've transformed an idea into a new business," said John Tyson, chairman of Tyson Foods.  "This innovative, new venture will help expand Tyson Foods' efforts to continue meeting the high standards of a very important customer."

Lopez Foods processes and supplies fully cooked beef patties, breakfast sausage, and chicken, as well as individually quick frozen (IQF) beef patties and a variety of other pork, beef and chicken products to the retail and foodservice channels. It's processing facilities in Oklahoma City and Caryville, Tenn., employ approximately 700 associates.