Smithfield Foods will close its Charlotte, North Carolina pork-processing plant and transfer production to its Tar Heel, North Carolina facility. The company says the move is to increase efficiency and better utilize existing capacity, and comes as the company faces “abundant supplies and soft demand” weighing on pork prices.
The company will provide financial and other transition assistance to the 107 employees affected by this closure and will meet with employees to discuss options, including transfer to other Smithfield locations. Smithfield will also provide a financial incentive package for hourly employees to remain at Charlotte until the final day of production in December.
“Providing transition support to our Charlotte employees is our number-one priority,” said Doug Sutton, chief manufacturing officer for Smithfield Foods. “We appreciate their commitment to producing good food responsibly, and we hope many of them will continue in roles at other Smithfield locations.”
Smithfield employs nearly 40,000 people in the U.S. and more than 10,000 in North Carolina. The company is not alone, as Tyson Foods announced the shutdown of six chicken processing facilities this year and cut jobs at others in North Carolina.
(From the National Association of Farm Broadcasters)