(Perry) Tyson Foods has announced that its pork plant in Perry will close permanently. The decision was a difficult one, and the company has expressed that they understand the impact it will have on their team members and the local community.
Tyson Foods has encouraged employees in Perry to apply for job openings with the company located elsewhere in Iowa. The Perry plant was Tyson’s largest employer, with approximately 1,200 employees. Tyson Foods employs around 9,000 individuals overall in Iowa, with facilities in Council Bluffs, Columbus Junction, Independence, Storm Lake, and Waterloo.
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds has stated, in response to the closure, that the state will provide full support to Tyson employees, the Perry community, and Iowa pork producers in the months leading up to the closure and after. The Iowa Economic Development Authority and Iowa Workforce Development are already engaged, Reynolds said. The state is ready to assist impacted employees in finding new jobs in the area, with about 60,000 job openings currently posted on IowaWorks.gov.
