Tyson Foods announced on Friday that it will end operations at its Lexington, Nebraska, beef facility and will convert its Amarillo, Texas, beef facility to a single, full-capacity shift. They say production will increase at other beef facilities.
The Lexington facility employs 3,000 people and processes 5,000 head of cattle per day, which is about 4.8% of the daily U.S. beef slaughter. Tyson Foods said in a news release that these network changes were designed to "rightsize its beef business and position it for long-term success."
U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., released the following statement on Friday in response to Tyson's announcement: "I am extremely disappointed by this news from Tyson today. As the single largest employer in Lexington, Tyson's announcement will have a devastating impact on a truly wonderful community, the region, and our state. Nebraskans are nothing if not resilient, and Lexington has a robust workforce. I hope their skill and experience will be sought after by other employers."
