Tyson closure a major blow to Lexington, Neb., community
The Lexington, Neb., community is reeling after the closure of the Tyson plant was announced, especially as the holiday season begins in earnest.
Clay Patton is the vice president of the Chamber of Commerce and said Tyson had recently worked to squelch rumors of even slowed production at the Lexington plant so the complete closure came as a shock.
“That’s where it left us in a lurch of we’re not retraining these people, we’re not relocating them, this is a Dear John letter of your employment ends on Jan. 20, good luck, thanks for the help,” Patton said. “That’s a major slam when it employs 30% of the population, but realistically probably closer to 50% by the time you figure that population number with kids and spouses.”
In the local school district, early estimates indicate about 1,300 students will be affected.
LABOR FORCE
He said Monday was a busy day with great interest in the labor force with outreach from Sustainable Beef, JBS, Gibbon Packing, and even Butterball have worked to schedule interviews and job fairs.
“The labor is in high demand, but that doesn’t help us from a community perspective because that labor, in these instances, would be leaving.”
Patton said the businesses that will be affected by the layoffs include food trucks, repair shops, car dealers, insurance offices, healthcare and real estate. He said affordable and sustainable housing has been a focus of investment in Lexington and it’s unknown how many of those dwellings will now stand empty.
Patton said there is also interest in the facility itself, though he did confirm it is not currently for sale. The campus was previously a New Holland combine plant.
“There is the infrastructure there for a multitude of industries,” he said. “That’s where I am hopeful that Tyson will show us a shred of community compassion and even if there will be bumpers or limits on it, let us do something with that facility so it doesn’t sit idle and it doesn’t suck every ounce of business out of the community that it once supported.”
Patton said social media is filled with firsthand stories of community members who have worked at the plant for decades, or generations of their family have worked at the facility. He said there is certainly a sense of betrayal among employees, though he’s hopeful the entrepreneurial spirit and what he called the better side of humanity will shine through.
Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen told Rural Radio Network the decision to close the plant is “an extraordinary punch in the gut” for workers and the community. Pillen said work is well underway to preserve and create jobs and find a future for the facility.
Pillen said there are cattlemen interested in purchasing the Lexington plant and interest in increasing processing at the new Sustainable Beef plant. He said “everything is on the table.”
“Tyson leadership has also promised to continue to work on future value-added opportunities here in the state,” Pillen said. “The state of Nebraska is ready to build for the future and do what it can do to support employees affected by this change.”
