Tyson Foods is closing its chicken processing plants in southeast Missouri’s Dexter and in southwest Missouri’s Noel.
The closures are expected in October, with nearly 700 jobs disappearing in Dexter. John Newby, President and CEO of the McDonald County Chamber of Commerce, says 1,500 people are losing their jobs in Noel.
“McDonald County has about 6,000 jobs, so essentially you can say that 25% of the workforce will be no longer as of October 20th,” Newby told Missourinet.
But there has been a huge outpouring of support since news of the shutdowns broke. The state of Missouri held an event in Noel Wednesday to help Tyson employees find work elsewhere, and on Saturday a local coffee shop will offer computer access and assistance, along with free coffee.
“You know, the outreach has been incredible,” Newby said. “There are a lot of employers that, in the area – many of those employees can stay put if they owned homes and commute 30 minutes or so.”
Newby said the state is sending a rapid response team August 16th to provide help to Tyson workers scrambling to find other jobs before the plant closes in October.
“Many companies have reached out and offered to help, not just with jobs,” he said. “There’s so many issues that come with this – mental illness, and mental health, medical. What are they going to do with their 401K’s? What are they going to do with their real estate if they move?”
Tyson’s announcement this week also included two chicken plants outside of Missouri. Facilities in Corydon, Indiana and North Little Rock, Arkansas will also be shutting down. The closures are the result of lower profits and reduced demand from consumers, according to Reuters.
Back in April, Tyson announced it was laying off ten percent of its corporate staff, and in June announced it was laying off more than 200 corporate employees in the Chicago area who refused to relocate to the company’s headquarters in Springdale, Arkansas.
Springdale is about 45 miles south of Noel, Missouri.
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