Tyson Foods to close Kansas meat processing plant
More than 800 jobs to be cut
3 December 2024
2 minute read
By: Tyson Foods will permanently close a beef and pork plant in Emporia, Kansas, that employs more than 800 people, Reuters reported, citing the meat processor on Monday.
The job cuts are the latest blows to America's heartland from the biggest US meat company by sales. Tyson has also closed six US chicken plants since the start of 2023 and an Iowa pork plant, 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.
In Emporia, a city of about 24,000 residents, Tyson will shut its plant around Feb. 14, terminating 804 employees, according to a letter it sent to the Kansas Department of Commerce.
Another five employees at a lab will lose their jobs on Jan. 31, Tyson's letter said, adding that the closures are part of a strategy to operate more efficiently.
Tyson, in a separate statement, encouraged employees to apply for other jobs at the company 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.
The plant has produced products such as seasoned and marinated meats and ground beef, according to Tyson's website. Workers stopped slaughtering cattle there in 2008 due to a previous period of tight supplies.
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.
