A Tyson Foods facility that was once touted as a major economic investment in Utah is shutting down after just five years in operation. The closure will eliminate hundreds of jobs and comes as the meat giant restructures its beef business amid a historic shortage of cattle.
723 Utah jobs will be eliminated
Tyson Foods announced August 13 that it will permanently close its case-ready meat facility in Eagle Mountain, Utah, affecting 723 employees. A WARN notice filed with the Utah Department of Workforce Services said the facility is expected to cease operations on or around Oct. 12.
The facility opened in 2021 and was designed to process beef and pork into consumer-ready products for grocery stores. Unlike a traditional slaughterhouse, the Eagle Mountain operation received meat processed elsewhere before slicing, grinding, packaging, and labeling it for retail sale.
Workers worry about what comes next
The closure has left many employees worried about how they will support their families once the plant shuts down. Tyson worker Josh Austin told FOX 13, “We have a mortgage to pay, we have a lot of bills, we have kids. Not having another job lined up is scary.” Another employee, Austin Campbell, said he saw coworkers immediately worrying about unemployment and whether they would be able to find other jobs.
$286 million facility closes after five years
The closure is particularly notable because of how recently Tyson opened the facility. The company invested approximately $286 million in the 600,000-square-foot plant, which was promoted as a highly automated operation that would create hundreds of jobs in the growing Eagle Mountain area.
Historic cattle shortage behind closure
Tyson said the closure is part of a broader restructuring of its beef operations as the U.S. faces a historic cattle shortage. The company plans to move capacity from Eagle Mountain and its Joslin, Illinois, facility to other locations, including plants in Nebraska, Kansas, and Texas.
Tyson also plans to ramp up a second shift at its Amarillo, Texas, facility as cattle become available.
Workers face an uncertain future
Tyson said it recognizes the impact of the closures on employees and communities and will assist affected workers in applying for positions at other Tyson facilities.
The Eagle Mountain closure is part of a much larger restructuring that also includes the Joslin, Illinois, beef plant closure and plans to sell Tyson’s beef facility in Pasco, Washington.
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