THOMASVILLE — Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp will attend the Friday grand opening of Walmart’s Thomasville meat-processing operation.

The 121 Roseway Drive plant is Walmart’s first meat-processing facility

The operation has hired 200 people, and another 150 are expected to be hired when the plant is fully operational, said Shelley Zorn, Thomasville Payroll Development Authority executive director.

Cattle to be processed at the Thomasville operation will be raised and slaughtered in another state, Zorn said.

“What they’re doing here is cutting and packing, and it’s clean,” she added.

The 1:15 p.m. Friday grand opening ceremony is open to the public.

Walmart, headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas, is creating a supply chain for Black Angus beef to meet customers’ demand for more transparency about the source of the retailer’s meat, according to an Arkansas newspaper.

The Walmart operation will be housed in the former Americold building on Roseway in a 200,000-square-foot structure.

The Walmart facility is a $90 million investment in the community by a strong, national company, Zorn said.

Zorn said Walmart will pay Thomas County property taxes and Thomas County and Thomasville City school taxes.

Senior reporter Patti Dozier can be reached at (229) 226-2400, ext. 1820