PERRY, Iowa — Tyson Foods is permanently closing its Perry pork plant, the city's largest employer, this summer.
A company spokesperson shared the following statement with Local 5:
"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."
Perry Economic Development says the Tyson Foods manufacturing plant at 13500 I Court employs approximately 1,200 team members and has been a mainstay in the community since at least 2001.
The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN) requires companies with 100 or more employees to give a 60-day notice of layoffs. Tyson's notice says the closure will happen on June 28 with 1,276 employees affected.
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David Edwards, a longtime Tyson employee, told Local 5 about the impact this will have on the workforce.
"I can't tell you exactly what it's going to be like, but I know from what I've heard there was a lot of people in tears, which I am almost right now just thinking about it," Edwards said. "Just so many people have given their heart and soul out there, and to have this happen just out of the blue is crazy."
With more than 1,200 employees losing their jobs, Edwards is concerned about those who just moved here.
"I don't know how a lot of these people are gonna make it," Edwards said. "I don't know what they're going to do, which a lot of the things, some of the things that was going through my mind when I heard that."
Edwards added that new people were hired and moved to Perry just a few weeks ago.
"I would say maybe half the people that work out there live here in town, even for them to want to be able to transfer, that means they have to pick up and move," Edwards said. "I just think it's going to hurt this town really bad."
In a letter sent to employees, the plant said they plan to close permanently, and this is their 60 day notice.
"I had no idea this was about to happen, so shock is about all I can say," Perry Mayor Dirk Cavanaugh said.
Tyson's impact on Perry is widespread, and this loss is something Cavanaugh says will leave a lasting impact.
"It's going to affect pretty much every business in town if we can't do something to replace what's going to be lost there," Cavanaugh said.
The city told Local 5 their top priority is to provide those losing their jobs with resources, and they plan to have conversations with Tyson on Tuesday morning.
At this time, the cause of the closure has not yet been confirmed.
“I’m disappointed to hear that the Tyson factory in Perry will be closing its doors in June. I’ve been in communication with the Governor’s office and Iowa Workforce Development to ensure the state is doing all it can to help the residents of Perry through this transition," Rep. Carter Nordman, R-Adel, said in a statement. "I have requested that the mobile workforce unit be deployed to Perry and will do all I can to ensure families affected by this closure get the assistance they need in a timely and effective manner.”
Local 5 will update this story as more information becomes available. Download the We Are Iowa app or subscribe to Local 5's "5 Things to Know" email newsletter for the latest.