Tyson Foods to shut down Georgia prepared food plant, laying off 168 employees

Tyson Foods

Tyson Foods is shutting down its prepared foods plant in Rome, Georgia, next month, laying off over a hundred employees as part of the closure.

According to a notice posted to Georgia’s WARN Act database, the company plans to close its plant on Darlington Drive, which is operated under The Hillshire Brands Company, on May 31. The notice shows that all 168 workers employed at the plant will be laid off.

The WARN Act, or Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, requires certain employers to give advance notice of large layoffs or closures, giving workers time to prepare for job loss.

In a release shared to CBS News Atlanta, a spokesperson for the company called the closure a “difficult decision.”

“The facility has operated under a unique single-customer model, but recent changes have made continued operations at the site no longer viable,” the spokesperson said. “We recognize the impact this has on our team members and the Rome community. Supporting our people is our top priority, and we are encouraging impacted team members to apply for other roles within the company while working with state and local partners to provide support during this transition.”

This is the latest closure by the multinational meat giant, which has struggled with losses in the beef business. Last year, the company closed its beef plant in Lexington, Kentucky, which had employed roughly 3,200 people in the city of 11,000. In 2024, Tyson closed a pork plant in Perry, Iowa, that employed 25% of the town’s working-age residents.