Tyson Foods To Shed 260 Jobs With Georgia Plant Closure And Shift Elimination
by March 28, 2015 9:39 am 130 views
Tyson Foods announced the closure of a poultry processing facility in Buena Vista, Ga., and discontinuation of the third shift at its Dawson, Ga., plant as it works to streamline efficiencies and retool itself to changing consumer demands.
The meat giant said changing product needs, the age of the facility and prohibitive renovation costs were factors leading to the plant’s closure.
About 260 employees will be impacted from this shuttered business over the next month.
“Because these changes affect our team members and their families, it was a very tough decision,” said Noel White, president of poultry for Tyson Foods. “Our business needs have changed in southern Georgia, so after a great deal of consideration, we’ve decided to take these steps in order to best serve our customers.”
Tyson said the company will work with state officials to inform employees about unemployment benefits and any potential re-training opportunities.
Meanwhile, expansion of Tyson’s Vienna, Ga. facility is in progress. The company is changing the focus of the plant’s production to tray pack chicken at a cost of $110 million.
Tyson said the expansion and conversion project will add more than 700 jobs when it’s completed mid-year.