Tyson Foods plans to permanently close a beef and pork plant in Emporia, Kan., that employs more than 800 people, the company said on Monday.
Tyson has also closed six U.S. chicken plants and an Iowa pork plant in the past two years, laying off thousands of workers.
“Tyson faces financial pressure as the nation’s cattle herd has dwindled to its smallest size in decades, raising costs for the animals the company processes into beef. The meatpacker’s chicken business previously suffered after executives misjudged consumer demand, though it has recovered,” Reuters reports.
Tyson will shut its plant in Emporia, a city of about 24,000 residents, around Feb. 14. In addition to the 804 jobs that will be cut in this closure, five employees at a lab will lose their jobs on Jan. 31, the company said in a letter. Reuters reports the closures are part of a strategy to operate more efficiently.
The company encouraged employees to apply for other jobs at Tyson and said it is working with state and local officials to provide them with resources.
“We understand the impact of this decision on our team members and the local community,” the statement said.
Tyson’s beef business, its largest unit, reported an adjusted loss of $291 million in its 2024 fiscal year that ended September, compared with income of $233 million for fiscal year 2023. The company projects the business will also suffer an operating loss in fiscal year 2025, Reuters reports.
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