Tyson Foods to Indefinitely Suspend Waterloo Operations
April 22 2020 - 8:30AM
Tyson Fresh Meats, the beef and pork subsidiary of Tyson Foods,
Inc. (NYSE: TSN), plans to indefinitely suspend operations at its
Waterloo, Iowa, pork plant this week.
The facility, the company’s largest pork plant, has been running
at reduced levels of production due to worker absenteeism, and will
stop production mid-week until further notice. The facility’s 2,800
team members will be invited to come to the plant later this week
for COVID-19 testing.
“Protecting our team members is our top priority and the reason
we’ve implemented numerous safety measures during this challenging
and unprecedented time,” said Steve Stouffer, group president of
Tyson Fresh Meats. “Despite our continued efforts to keep our
people safe while fulfilling our critical role of feeding American
families, the combination of worker absenteeism, COVID-19 cases and
community concerns has resulted in our decision to stop
production.
“The closure has significant ramifications beyond our company,
since the plant is part of a larger supply chain that includes
hundreds of independent farmers, truckers, distributors and
customers, including grocers,” Stouffer said. “It means the loss of
a vital market outlet for farmers and further contributes to the
disruption of the nation’s pork supply.”
Affected Waterloo team members will continue to be compensated
while the plant is closed. The timing of resumption of operations
will depend on a variety of factors, including the outcome of team
member testing for COVID-19.
Tyson Foods has been focused on COVID-19 since January when it
formed a company coronavirus task force. It has since implemented
numerous measures to protect workers. It was one of the first food
companies to start taking worker temperatures. The company started
efforts to secure a supply of protective face coverings before the
CDC recommended them and now requires their use in all facilities.
In an effort to promote social distancing, plants like Waterloo
have installed workstation dividers and are providing more
breakroom space.
Tyson Foods’ other meat and poultry plants currently continue to
operate, but some are running at reduced levels of production
either due to the planned implementation of additional worker
safety precautions or worker absenteeism.
About Tyson FoodsTyson Foods, Inc. (NYSE: TSN)
is one of the world’s largest food companies and a recognized
leader in protein. Founded in 1935 by John W. Tyson and grown under
three generations of family leadership, the company has a broad
portfolio of products and brands like Tyson®, Jimmy Dean®,
Hillshire Farm®, Ball Park®, Wright®, Aidells®,
ibp®, and State Fair®. Tyson Foods innovates continually
to make protein more sustainable, tailor food for everywhere it’s
available and raise the world’s expectations for how much good food
can do. Headquartered in Springdale, Arkansas, the company has
141,000 team members. Through its Core Values, Tyson Foods strives
to operate with integrity, create value for its shareholders,
customers, communities and team members and serve as a steward of
the animals, land and environment entrusted to it.
Visit TYSONFOODS.COM to learn more.
Contact: Gary Mickelson, 479-290-2122
Category: IR, Newsroom
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