Tyson plant closure threatens jobs in small Nebraska town
LEXINGTON, Neb. — Tyson Foods is closing its beef plant in Lexington, Nebraska, laying off 3,200 workers next month, according to the company and a University of Nebraska, Lincoln report. On a frigid day after Mass at St. Ann’s Catholic Church, worshippers gathered in the basement and talked about what they described as a sudden collapse of their local work prospects. Workers said the shutdown has begun to narrow their options for where they can live and how they can afford schooling and everyday expenses.
Alejandra Gutierrez, a Tyson worker, described being told about the closure shortly before Thanksgiving. She said her world began to shrink as plans for work and income changed, and she spoke about worrying over how her family would pay for college. Gutierrez’s account echoed what other workers described as the loss of a future that had been treated as attainable in Lexington.
The plant closure follows more than two decades of Tyson operations in Lexington. The plant opened in 1990 and Tyson bought it in 2001, bringing thousands of employees and nearly doubling the town’s population within a decade, according to the reporting. Residents described how Tyson has shaped the town’s daily rhythm, from shift changes to restaurants and school schedules, and they said the plant’s physical presence has become a visible part of local life.
The economic fallout is expected to extend beyond the plant. The University of Nebraska, Lincoln report released Monday estimates job losses could reach 7,000, largely in Lexington and surrounding counties, and it projects that Tyson employees alone will lose an estimated $241 million in pay and benefits annually. Michael Hicks, director of the Center for Business and Economic Research at Ball State University, said the layoffs in a town of roughly 10,000 to 12,000 people are among the biggest closing events he has seen in decades.
Tyson said it is closing the plant to “right-size” its beef business after what the company described as a historically low cattle herd in the U.S. Tyson also cited an expected loss of $600 million on beef production next fiscal year. In response to questions about the site, the company said in a statement that it “is currently assessing how we can repurpose the facility within our own production network,” without providing additional details about timelines or whether it would offer community support through the closure.
Workers described the shutdown as more than a job loss. Arab Adan, a Kenyan immigrant who works at the plant, said Tyson “was our motherland,” and he described the uncertainty facing his children about where they will go next. He said he and his family are focused on keeping the children in Lexington through the end of the school year, noting that school officials say nearly half of students have a parent working for Tyson.
At St. Ann’s, parishioners contributed cash to a fund for families in financial need even as they acknowledged they would be out of work next month. Francisco Antonio, a 52-year-old father of four, said he plans to stay in Lexington for a few months and look for work, adding that it felt like “home mostly, not the job.” He said “We need another opportunity, job, here in Lex,” and he warned that without new work Lexington could disappear.
Local officials and business owners also described the closure as a domino effect. Joe Pepplitsch, the city manager, said Tyson owes the community a debt and described the responsibility to help ease the impact, noting that Tyson does not pay city taxes due to a deal negotiated decades ago. Nearby restaurants that rely on workers’ spending, including a Mexican restaurant down the street from the plant, were described as facing the risk of shrinking customer counts as employees lose income.
As the Jan. 20 closure date approaches, workers said state agencies have been meeting with them at events meant to help with retraining, resume-building and unemployment filings. But some workers said the options feel limited, especially for older employees who do not speak English fluently and who have not graduated high school. Juventino Castro said the job market tends to prioritize younger workers, and Fernando Sanchez said starting over would be difficult at their age, describing it as a return “from scratch” again.