Which Bird Is It?

ConAgra Foods Inc. will soon be taking over one Arkansas poultry plant. But will the Omaha, Neb., company regarded as Tyson Foods’ largest competitor soon be parting with another Arkansas facility?

Although ConAgra officials would not say whether its plant in El Dorado was for sale, the suspicion is that it is.

At least two out-of-state poultry companies have expressed interest in buying some or all of ConAgra’s fresh production facilities in El Dorado, Farmerville and Natchitoches, La., and Gainsville, Ga.

It has been rumored that ConAgra has been looking at getting out of the live production business, and some movement at ConAgra Poultry Co.’s Duluth, Ga., headquarters seem to confirm as much. The offices are relocating just down the road in Duluth to an office that will have from 60-70 less seats.

“A lot of people are worried if a seat in the new building has their name on it,” said one industry official who asked not to be identified. “[ConAgra officials] have also asked about 70 people to volunteer to retire, telling them they will get a good severance. If no one volunteers then they will fire people with no severance.”

Bob McKeon, manager of media relations at ConAgra’s home office in Omaha, told the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal, “We don’t comment on rumors and we don’t comment on what we may or may not be selling.”

Jerry Dowd is president of ConAgra Poultry. He is one of four former Tyson Foods employees who left for ConAgra and were later named in a lawsuit filed by Tyson for trade-secret violations. The Arkansas Supreme Court lawsuit denied Tyson the $20 million it had originally been awarded.