by Kim Souza (ksouza@talkbusiness.net)

Cargill has confirmed it plans to close its turkey processing facility in Springdale. More than 1,000 employees and more than 100 farmers who raise turkeys for the company are being told Tuesday (Jan. 28) about the closure slated for Aug. 1.

“This Cargill closure in Springdale was not an easy decision to make given the impact to the people who work there and local producers,” Chuck Miller, corporate spokesman told Talk Business & Politics. “However, it is the right move to make for the future of our turkey business. Turkey remains an essential part of Cargill’s protein portfolio. We will shift much of Springdale’s production to our turkey processing plants in Missouri and Virginia and work to minimize supply disruptions to customers. We will honor contractual obligations to growers and continue to process turkey and other proteins at more than 40 primary, case-ready and value-added protein facilities in the United States and Canada.”

The company did not provide details about how it plans to honor contracts with farmers. Many farmers have significant bank loans that require multiple year contracts to pay off.

Cargill to shutter turkey operation in Springdale (Updated)

by Kim Souza (ksouza@talkbusiness.net)

Two small Tyson Foods’ plants in Philadelphia are slated to close over the next two months. The Original Philly cook beef plant and the Original Philly raw plant acquired by Tyson Foods in 2017 will close by Jan. 31.

The news came from a federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN notice) filed with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania this past week.

The plants employ 229 workers who prepare Philly steak products for Tyson’s prepared food business. Tyson has not yet said if the production will be shifted to another facility. Tyson Foods said it is working with state and local officials to provide additional resources to those who are impacted by the plant closures.

“After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to close our two Prepared Foods facilities in Philadelphia to increase the efficiency of our operations. We understand the decision’s impact on our team members and the local community,” Tyson Foods said in an email to Talk Business & Politics.

Tyson Foods to shutter two more plants, cut 229 jobs