DECATUR, ARK. – Poultry company Cooks Venture recently closed its operations in Oklahoma and Arkansas for financial reasons.

According to news reports, 511 employees were laid off at eight different facilities.

A letter to employees on Nov. 17 included the following statement from Cooks Venture:

“While we would have preferred to provide you with more notice, due to the unexpected and last-minute lack of financing for the company’s continued operations, we were unable to do so. The company has, since at least as early as Sept. 1, 2023, been engaged in serious discussions with investors to obtain financing which, if obtained, would have enabled the company to avoid a shutdown and continue its operations. Unfortunately, earlier this week we learned that the company would not be able to obtain the anticipated financing.”

The letter stated that it expected to close facilities between Nov. 20 and Nov. 30.

The City of Jay, Okla., posted on Facebook that the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission assisted employees affected by the Cooks Venture closure on Nov. 27. The processing facility for Cooks Venture was located in Jay.

Other parts of the business that were shut down included a deboning facility, hatchery facility, breeding farm, broiler and turkey farm and an e-commerce facility.

In August, Cooks Venture hired John Niemann as the new chief executive officer. 

The poultry producer specializes in heirloom birds and regenerative agriculture.