Tyson Foods closing Perry plant; 1,200 workers affected
PERRY, IOWA -- Tyson Foods will close its pork processing plant in Perry, Iowa by the end of June, leaving its estimated workforce of 1,200 people searching for new jobs. The announcement was made to employees in Perry on Monday afternoon.
In a statement, Tyson said the decision was difficult but that customers should note that the closing of the Iowa factory and impending layoffs of hundreds of workers "emphasizes our focus to optimize the efficiency of our operations to best serve" them. Tyson says it will encourage employees to find other jobs within their company. Tyson also owns a plant in Council Bluffs.
The full statement from Tyson announcing the layoffs reads:
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. 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. While this decision was not easy, it emphasizes our focus to optimize the efficiency of our operations to best serve our customers. Iowa remains a key state for Tyson Foods, with employment of more than 9,000 team members across our other Iowa facilities."
Governor Kim Reynolds responded to the announced closure with an optimistic promise to the people of Perry and Iowa pork producers. Her statement reads in full:
“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.”
Governor Kim Reynolds, (R) Iowa
A search of the Iowa Works website found 348 available positions within 10 miles of Perry. That list included nine positions at the soon-to-be-shuttered Tyson Foods plant in Perry.