ASHVILLE, NY – King of Prussia, Penn.-based AFA Foods will close its Ashville, NY beef-processing plant sooner than originally planned. In July, the company filed notice with the State Labor Department that the company would close the plant in October. Now, the plant will be closing Sept. 12.

AFA Foods filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in April, citing changes in the market for ground beef and the impact of the controversy over lean finely textured beef (LFTB). AFA was a competitor of Beef Products Inc., another producer of LFTB that was embroiled in the LFTB controversy.

The company tried to find a buyer for the Ashville location after it sold three other plants in Fort Worth, Texas; Thomasville, Ga.; and Los Angeles. Nearly 100 workers will be laid off from the Ashville plant.