Tyson Foods will officially close its poultry complex in Corydon, Indiana, on April 6, but the company says some employees will be retained into the summer to assist with the plant closure process.
In August 2023, Tyson Foods announced its plans to close the Corydon plant, as well as its poultry plants in North Little Rock, Arkansas; Dexter, Missouri, and Noel, Missouri. Earlier in 2023, it announced the closure of poultry plants in Glen Allen, Virginia, and Van Buren, Arkansas.
During a quarterly earnings call on February 6, Tyson Foods CEO Noel White said the Corydon plant was the only one of those six still in operation, but he added that operations were winding down there.
On February 9, Tyson Foods offered an update on the closure plans with a notice given to the Indiana Department of Workforce Development and Corydon Town Council President Lester Rhoads.
In that notice, signed by Melvin Fulston Jr., vice president of Tyson’s poultry division, the company said most operations would cease on March 1, but marinated raw breading operations at the plant will continue until April 6. “On that date, we will cease all operations and permanently close the complex,” the notice read.
Tyson stated that it would retain 132 team members until that date, but 35 Corydon workers would remain after that. Five more workers would be let go later in April. The plans are then to cease employment for another 15 team members on May 3 and another 10 on May 31. After June 28, only one person – a breeder tech -- will be retained, and that person’s employment in Corydon will end on August 10.
“Team members being asked to extend their employment have been personally notified. There is a Collective Bargaining Agreement in place that governs bumping rights for team members in the applicable Bargaining Unit. Bumping rights have been effectuated to determine the employees whose employment will be extended,” the notice read.
