BBQ wood pellet mill opening in Hope; up to 100 new jobs coming

LITTLE ROCK  — Dansons USA said Wednesday (Feb. 10) it will open “the country’s largest barbecue wood pellet mill and distribution center” in Hope, Ark. The facility is expected to create 50-100 new jobs over the next three years, according to the company.

The facility, which is approximately 335,000 square feet and sits on 143 acres, will initially start with three pelleters and a 100,000-ton capacity, but has the infrastructure for eventual expansion to 300,000 tons and nine pelleters. The site will also serve as a distribution center for wood pellets as well as wood pellet barbecue grills, according to Dansons.

“Dansons is setting the barbecue world on fire with its high-quality wood pellets and top-flight pellet grills,” Gov. Asa Hutchinson said. “Dansons and Hope are a perfect match. Dansons needs wood. Arkansas has wood. Dansons needs a first-rate workforce. Arkansans are the hardest working and smartest employees anywhere. Dansons and Arkansas will set the standard for barbecue wood pellets, and soon grill masters will be serving barbecue with the distinctive taste of Arkansas.”

Dansons, headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, was founded in 1999 by Dan Thiessen and his two sons.

The Hope site is a former Georgia-Pacific facility and has a strong infrastructure for wood processing. That plant closed in 2019 laying off 100 workers. Dansons said the facility will be the “crown jewel” of its pellet creation and distribution operation.