ORANGE CITY, Iowa – By the end of 2012, AdvancePierre Foods plans to close its Orange City, Iowa, meat packing plant. The closing will result in eliminating as many as 300 local jobs, according to the Sioux City Journal.

The plant’s manager informed Mayor Les Douma of the company's plans late in the day on May 1. Affected employees were also notified by representatives of the Cincinnati, Ohio-based company.

In 2010, the merger of Cincinnati-Ohio-based Pierre Foods and Oklahoma City, Okla.-based Advance Food Co. and Advance Brands resulted in the creation of AdvancePierre, which processes meat products and sandwiches for a variety of retail and foodservice customers.