Pilgrim's Pride to Idle Two Facilities
Pilgrim's Pride Corporation plans to idle its chicken processing plant in Athens, Ala., and one of its two plants in Athens, Ga., within 60 to75 days as part of its continuing effort to improve capacity utilization and reduce costs.
Production from the Athens, Ala., plant will be consolidated into two other Pilgrim's Pride complexes, bringing those facilities to full capacity. The hatchery in Moulton, Ala., the feed mill in Falkville, Ala., and other live production operations associated with the Athens plant will continue to operate.
Approximately 640 employees who work at the Athens, Ala., processing plant will be affected by the plant idling. Pilgrim's Pride expects to be able to offer positions at other facilities to many of these employees. The company will provide transition programs to employees who are not retained in order to assist them in securing new employment, filing for unemployment and obtaining other applicable benefits.
Production from the company's Athens, Ga., plant on Oneta St. will be consolidated at a neighboring Barber St. plant as well as at several other company complexes in north Georgia, bringing those facilities to full capacity. The live production operations, including hatcheries and feed mills, will continue to operate. Pilgrim's Pride expects to be able to offer positions to most of the approximately 330 employees at the Oneta St. location by the time the plant is idled. The company will provide transition programs to any employees who are not retained after the consolidation.
"As we work to restructure Pilgrim's Pride as a market-driven company, we must continue to look for ways to reduce our costs and operate more efficiently," says Don Jackson, president and chief executive officer. "A key component of that effort is improving our capacity utilization through plant consolidation and other operational changes. While the decision to idle a plant and eliminate jobs is always painful - and we regret that it is necessary - it is absolutely critical to the future of Pilgrim's Pride that we make better use of our assets. We are taking these actions now to protect the jobs of our 41,000 employees and 4,500 growers so that we can emerge from Chapter 11 as a stronger, more efficient company."
Production from the Athens, Ala., plant will be consolidated into two other Pilgrim's Pride complexes, bringing those facilities to full capacity. The hatchery in Moulton, Ala., the feed mill in Falkville, Ala., and other live production operations associated with the Athens plant will continue to operate.
Approximately 640 employees who work at the Athens, Ala., processing plant will be affected by the plant idling. Pilgrim's Pride expects to be able to offer positions at other facilities to many of these employees. The company will provide transition programs to employees who are not retained in order to assist them in securing new employment, filing for unemployment and obtaining other applicable benefits.
Production from the company's Athens, Ga., plant on Oneta St. will be consolidated at a neighboring Barber St. plant as well as at several other company complexes in north Georgia, bringing those facilities to full capacity. The live production operations, including hatcheries and feed mills, will continue to operate. Pilgrim's Pride expects to be able to offer positions to most of the approximately 330 employees at the Oneta St. location by the time the plant is idled. The company will provide transition programs to any employees who are not retained after the consolidation.
"As we work to restructure Pilgrim's Pride as a market-driven company, we must continue to look for ways to reduce our costs and operate more efficiently," says Don Jackson, president and chief executive officer. "A key component of that effort is improving our capacity utilization through plant consolidation and other operational changes. While the decision to idle a plant and eliminate jobs is always painful - and we regret that it is necessary - it is absolutely critical to the future of Pilgrim's Pride that we make better use of our assets. We are taking these actions now to protect the jobs of our 41,000 employees and 4,500 growers so that we can emerge from Chapter 11 as a stronger, more efficient company."