Tyson Foods Announces Closure of Major Pork Packing Plant in Perry, IA Leaving Over 1,200 Workers Jobless

The town of Perry, Iowa was dealt a severe blow as Tyson Foods Inc., one of the world’s leading meat producers, declared the closure of its major pork packing plant in the area, resulting in 1,276 employees facing unemployment.

This announcement follows the Arkansas-based company’s closure of two chicken plants and last year’s job reductions.

Tyson Foods had earlier indicated that four additional plants would close by mid-fiscal 2024, with related costs estimated between 300 million to 400 million, USA Today reported.

On Monday, Tyson broke the news that it would be closing the Perry, Iowa pork-packing plant for good.

“After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to permanently close our Perry, Iowa pork facility. We understand the impact of this decision on our team members and the local community,” a spokesperson said in a statement.

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.”

Perry, located in Dallas County and about 40 miles northwest of Des Moines, had a population of just over 7,800 people, according to the 2020 Census. The impact of the plant’s closure is expected to ripple through the community, affecting not only the workers but also the local economy.

Tyson has stated that it will encourage the displaced workers to seek other positions within the company, which still maintains a workforce of 9,000 in Iowa and operates pork facilities in Waterloo, Storm Lake, and Columbus Junction.

Gov. Kim Reynolds released a statement following the devastating news.

“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. 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.”

USA Today reported:

What other Tyson Food plants have closed?

Last May, Tyson Foods closed two facilities in Virginia and Arkansas that employed more than 1,600 people. The month prior, in April, it also said it planned to eliminate about 10% of corporate jobs and 15% of senior leadership roles.

During the August 2023’s earnings call, Tyson President and CEO Donnie King announced plants in North Little Rock, Arkansas; Corydon, Indiana; and Dexter and Noel, Missouri were expected to cease operations within the first half of fiscal 2024.

At the time, a spokesperson for Tyson declined to say how many jobs will be eliminated due to the closures.