Deboning lines at Wayne Farms' plant in Dothan, Ala., will be discontinued and an estimated 560 jobs will be eliminated. Wayne Farms announced on April 2 that it has reached a long-term agreement where 100 percent of the poultry slaughtered at the Dothan plant would be supplied to AlaTrade, which will now handle the deboning.
The poultry from Wayne Farms will be transported to AlaTrade's plant in Phenix City, Ala. As a result of the agreement between Wayne Farms and AlaTrade, deboning lines at the Dothan plant are no longer needed, the Dothan Eagle reported.
"We've made a large investment in the facility here and in order to maximize that investment for the long term, we look for long-term agreements with business partners," Clint Rivers, vice president and general manager of Wayne Farms fresh production business unit, said in a press release. "Overall it was a business decision for the long haul. Our facility will continue to run, our local farmers and suppliers won't be impacted, and we can help our employees find opportunities in this field or other fields."
The Wayne Farm layoffs associated with the elimination of deboning lines are expected to be completed by June 8. Wayne Farms will work to offer jobs to displaced workers at other company facilities.
The Dothan complex also includes a hatchery and live operations. Those operations will continue.
