Another major food manufacturer is reducing its workforce as Pilgrim’s Pride prepares to close operations at one of its Tennessee facilities. The poultry producer has filed a WARN notice announcing plans to lay off 315 employees at its Chattanooga location, with the job cuts scheduled to take effect on September 25. The closure marks one of Tennessee’s largest food manufacturing layoffs announced this year.
Chattanooga operations to shut down
According to the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Pilgrim’s Pride filed its WARN notice on June 16, notifying the state of the planned layoffs in Hamilton County. The affected employees include both union and non-union workers.
Pilgrim’s Pride is one of the nation’s largest poultry producers, supplying fresh and prepared chicken products to grocery stores, restaurants and foodservice operators across the United States and internationally. The company, which is majority-owned by JBS USA, operates processing facilities throughout North America and employs tens of thousands of workers.
Production shifting to Georgia
Pilgrim’s Pride said it will invest approximately $75 million to expand its poultry complex in Ellijay, Georgia, where harvesting operations from Chattanooga will be consolidated. However, the Chattanooga site will not close entirely. Its deboning facility will remain in operation, processing chicken supplied from the expanded Georgia complex, while the company said its network of regional contract growers and customer service will not be affected.
Industry trends
Pilgrim’s Pride’s announcement is part of a broader wave of restructuring across the meat and poultry processing industry. In recent months, companies including Tyson Foods and JBS USA have announced major plant closures and workforce reductions as they respond to shifting production strategies, tight livestock supplies in the beef sector and ongoing efforts to modernize operations.
The latest layoffs underscore the continued challenges facing food manufacturers as they balance rising costs with long-term investments in more efficient facilities.
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