Butterball reopens processing plant in Ozark
by June 5, 2019 7:08 pm 569 views
The Butterball turkey processing plant in Ozark reopened on Tuesday (June 4) after flood waters receded around the facility.
The plant that employs about 600 workers has been closed since May 24 after record flooding along the Arkansas River made passage to and from the facility unsafe for workers and trucks.
The plant ran a day shift on Tuesday and returned to normal operations for all shifts on Wednesday, June 5, according to Butterball Public Relations Manager Christa Leupen.
She said the highway running in front of the facility has reopened and the plant itself was not flooded, the closure was related to access roads around the facility.
Butterball has not yet provided any details regarding losses related the closing.
Poultry growers in the area that supply the plant no doubt had to keep turkeys on the farm longer than necessary at an added cost. Every day on the farms, the birds eat more grain and grow larger. The bigger birds are also more cumbersome to slaughter and process.
The Federal Energy Management Agency was called on by President Donald Trump to provide emergency protective measures in 16 counties around the state from the historic flooding.