A POPULAR meat manufacturer is set to permanently shutter a busy beef and pork plant that employs over 800 workers.
Tyson, which stocks its meat products at retailers such as Walmart and Target, made the tough decision due to financial pressure.
3
3
Tyson Foods, the largest meat company in the US by sales, announced on Monday it would be closing a beef and pork plant in Emporia, Kansas – 60 miles southwest of Topeka.
The company will close the meat processing plant in February next year, according to a letter sent to the Kansas Department of Commerce.
The decision was part of Tyson’s “business strategy to operate more efficiently,” per a letter sent to Emporia officials by Ernesto Sanchez, Tyson’s vice president of beef and pork operations.
The factory closure will impact 809 Tyson employees.
The facility was one of the largest employers in the Emporia region, employing over 5,000 people across several Kansas plants.
Tyson shared in a statement that the closure would greatly impact the Emporia community and its workers.
“Taking care of our team members is our top priority and we encourage them to apply for other open roles within the company,” shared the company in a statement.
“We are also working closely with state and local officials to provide additional resources to those who are impacted.”
Up to 200 workers from the Emporia factory could be transferred to the facility in Holcomb.
US Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas, who serves on the US Senate Agriculture Committee, expressed his disappointment over the impending closure.
“The news of Tyson’s closing its plant in Emporia breaks my heart,” he said. “This is devastating news for these families and the community, especially at Christmas time.”
MEAT MADNESS
The over 800 lost jobs are just another casualty for Tyson.
The meat company has shuttered six chicken plants since the beginning of last year, as well as a pork factory in Iowa, putting thousands of employees out of work.
Tyson has faced financial pressure due to forces in the cattle market, including the US cattle population at its smallest size in decades.
The news of Tyson’s closing its plant in Emporia breaks my heart. This is devastating news for these families and the community, especially at Christmas time.”
Roger Marshall
This has led to a higher cost for Tyson to process the livestock.
The company’s chicken sector also struggled previously when executives misjudged consumer demand, although Tyson has since recovered.
The meat processor’s largest unit is its beef business, which had an income of $233 million in 2023.
The beef unit then reported an adjusted loss of $291 million in its 2024 fiscal year that ended in September.
The company projects the business will suffer a loss next year.
3
Other companies are financially struggling including Subway, which is closing two locations in the same city.
Plus, a popular mall retailer is closing a location for good after 12 years and trying to stay afloat after once declaring bankruptcy.
