Once the facility is closed, each affected employee will be offered a severance package plus opportunities and support to relocate to Cargill positions at other company facilities in the region. Job fairs will also be conducted by the company
“These decisions are never easy, especially when they involve good people who do great work for our business,” said Ruth Kimmelshue, president of Wichita, Kan.-based Cargill Turkey & Cooked Meats. “We value the contributions of our colleagues and will do as much as possible to help those who are impacted find other employment, including at other Cargill locations.”
Cargill said in a press release that closing its Springfield facility will help it better serve customers given the meat products sliced and packaged there involve meat produced at other locations, including Nebraska City and Waco.
“Given the scale of our facilities where this work is going, the proximity to raw materials, and technology driven efficiencies that can be gained, in addition to the shipping logistics benefits for our customers, we believe this move better positions us for future growth in a highly competitive environment,” Kimmelshue said. “Nevertheless, it always hurts when people’s jobs are impacted, which is why we will offer to provide them with an appropriate level of transition support.”
Cargill is one of the largest turkey producers and processors in the in US, with major operations in Virginia, Missouri, Arkansas, Texas, Nebraska and Minnesota. It acquired the Springfield facility in 2008, along with other assets that belonged to Willow Brook Foods at that time.
