SPRINGDALE, ARK. — Tyson Foods Inc. confirmed on March 11 that the company plans to close its pork plant in Perry, Iowa, which will affect more than 1,200 jobs.

“After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to permanently close our Perry, Iowa pork facility,” a Tyson spokesperson said. “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.”

The WARN notice from the state of Iowa said the closure would occur on June 28.

The meat processor confirmed it will still employ more than 9,000 people at other Iowa facilities.

The Iowa Pork Producers Association expressed their disappointment about the announcement regarding the facility closure in Perry.  

"We are concerned about the negative impacts it will have on rural communities and producers in the area," said Ben Nuelle, director of public policy at the Iowa Pork Producers Association. "Over the last 16-18 months, producers have been suffering from some of the worst economic times which has also had effects on processing plants. The Iowa Pork Producers Association is available as a resource to producers who may be affected."

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds responded to the announcement by Tyson.

“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," Reynolds said. "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.”

Adjusted operating income for fiscal year 2023 declined in Tyson’s pork segment, with a reported loss of $128 million, compared with $198 million income during the time period of 2022. 

During the last year, Tyson decided to close several plants nationwide.

In March, Tyson announced it would close its Van Buren, Ark., and Glen Allen, Va., poultry processing facilities. Five months later, the company announced an additional four plants closing, those in North Little Rock, Ark.; Corydon, Ind.; Dexter, Mo.; and Noel, Mo.

Then, in October 2023, Tyson confirmed a report of a mass layoff taking place at its Wilkesboro, NC, poultry processing plant. While the plant remained open, 250 workers of the then 3,000 team members were released. The company attributed the layoffs to reducing operations in response to current customer demand.

A month later, it closed value-added plants in Jacksonville, Fla., and Columbia, SC.