Tyson Foods is set to “streamline” its operations further by shutting down a pork plant in Iowa. This will result in the loss of 1,200 jobs and mark the end of the largest employer in the town of Perry.
Tyson announced the plant closure on Monday. This decision follows the closure of several other plants in the past year and the consolidation of corporate operations in the preceding year.
According to a WARN notice from the state of Iowa, the closure is scheduled for June 28.
This closure represents another significant setback for Perry, following a tragic incident just two months earlier when a 17-year-old student opened fire at a school, resulting in the deaths of a sixth grader and the principal and injuries to six others.
While Tyson has expressed its commitment to assisting affected workers in finding new employment opportunities and collaborating with state and local authorities, specifics regarding severance packages have not been disclosed. The company is encouraging impacted employees to apply for positions at its other facilities.
A Tyson spokesperson emphasized that despite the difficulty of the decision, it underscores the company’s dedication to optimizing operational efficiency to better serve its customers.
“After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to permanently close our Perry, Iowa pork facility,” a Tyson spokesperson said. “We understand the impact of this decision on our team members and the local community. Taking care of our team members is our top priority and we encourage them to apply for other open roles within the company. We are also working closely with state and local officials to provide additional resources to those who are impacted.”
Workers have expressed the hard-hitting surprise that the notice of closure meant for their families.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds responded to Tyson’s announcement, saying, “Tyson employees, the Perry community, and Iowa pork producers will have the full support of the state in the months leading up to the plant closure and after. Iowa Economic Development Authority and Iowa Workforce Development are already engaged,” Reynolds said. “We stand ready to assist impacted employees with finding new jobs in the area as soon as possible. There are more than 60,000 job openings currently posted on IowaWorks.gov, and IWD provides one-to-one career counseling for anyone seeking employment.”
Despite this closure, Tyson will still maintain employment for over 9,000 individuals at its other facilities in Iowa.
Tyson’s pork segment experienced a decline in adjusted operating income for fiscal year 2023, reporting a loss of $128 million compared to a $198 million income in 2022.
In the past year, Tyson has decided to shutter several plants nationwide. In March, it announced the closure of poultry processing facilities in Van Buren, Ark., and Glen Allen, Va. Five months later, four more plants were slated for closure in North Little Rock, Ark.; Corydon, Ind.; Dexter, Mo.; and Noel, Mo.
In October 2023, Tyson confirmed a mass layoff at its Wilkesboro, N.C., poultry processing plant, releasing 250 workers out of the 3,000 team members at that time. The layoffs were attributed to adjustments in operations to meet current customer demand.
Tyson closed value-added plants in Jacksonville, Florida, and Columbia, South Carolina a month later.
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