The Tyson plant in Perry, Iowa, is closing after 61 years. What we know about its plans.

Tyson Foods announced Monday, March 11, that it will permanently close its pork packing plant in Perry, Iowa, amid financial struggles for the pork industry.

Here is what we know about the Tyson Foods plant in Perry.

How many people will lose their jobs when Tyson closes in Perry?

As the largest employer in Perry, Tyson employs 1,276 people. The closure is expected to leave all employees without work.

Tyson said it will encourage employees to apply for other jobs within the company. Across Iowa, Tyson employs 9,000 people. A significant number of its employees are immigrants or refugees, with 60% of its national workforce representing those two categories, according to Jobs for the Future.

More: Tyson Foods says it's permanently closing 1,276-employee Perry plant

When will the Tyson plant close in Perry?

Perry Mayor Dirk Cavanaugh said Tyson officials told him the plant will shut down June 28. A Tyson worker also said that was the timeframe given at a meeting Monday where the closure plan was announced.

Why is Tyson closing plants?

Tyson didn't say why the Perry plant is closing. But two things stand out about the plant: its age, at 61 years for the main facility, and, according to an industry analyst, its size, which doesn't lend itself to an efficiency-increasing second shift.

At the same time, Iowa's nation-leading pork industry is coming off its worst downturn in the past 25 years, and Tyson at the end of fiscal 2023 said it had lost $128 million on its pork segment.

Tyson didn't announce any other closures in March, but Perry isn't the first plant to close recently. Plants in Jacksonville, Florida, and Columbia, South Carolina, closed at the start of 2024. Six Tyson plants closed in 2023.

What's being done for Tyson employees?

The Iowa Workforce Development will deploy its IowaWorks Mobile Workforce Center to aid the employees without work come June. The League of United Latin American Citizens Council 307 in Des Moines also said it would help the displaced workers — many of whom are Spanish-speaking — where it can.

More: New Iowa mobile workforce center to be dispatched to Perry for Tyson plant workers

Where is Tyson's Perry plant?

The pork processing facility is located just west of the city limits on a disused rail line that's now part of the Raccoon River Valley Trail.

How has the Tyson plant shaped Perry?

Aside from being its largest employer (and generating more than $200,000 a year in property taxes), the plant at the end of 2022 was advertising starting pay for general production workers of $18.40 an hour with a sign-on bonus of $5,000, plus an extra $1 an hour for good attendance and full benefits. Though a tad below the Iowa hourly average, that's more than 2½ times the state minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. While not all of the workers live in town, they still buy groceries, gas and other services there, Cavanaugh said. "It's our economic base."

The plant's heavily immigrant workforce also has helped make Perry one of the most diverse communities in Iowa. The U.S. Census shows that nearly a third of the city's 8,000 people identify as Hispanic or Latino and that almost 19% are foreign born.

What will happen to Perry after the Tyson plant closes?

The community demonstrated its resiliency earlier this year, when shootings at Perry High School left three dead. The schools are back in session and the ribbons in Perry Bluejay blue and "Perry Strong" remain on display throughout the town.

Cavanaugh vowed to work with other community leaders to seek a buyer for the plant. But barring a new owner, the economic impact of lost wages and population will be felt.

Area farmers also are likely to feel the effects. The plant slaughtered some 9,000 pigs a day, and they'll have to transport them farther to market and at greater expense.

More: Iowa pork producers' losses worst in 25 years amid high costs and declining demand

When did the Tyson plant open in Perry?

The plant has been in operation in Perry since the 1960s. It became a Tyson facility after the Arkansas-based company merged with Iowa Beef Processors in 2001, according to the Perry Economic Development website.

More: Lawsuit by Waterloo Tyson managers fired for COVID-19 bets dismissed

What's the population of Perry, Iowa?

There are 7,929 residents of Perry, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Perry is nearly 40 miles northwest of Des Moines and is part of Dallas County — one of the fastest growing in the country.

Does Tyson have other plants in Iowa?

Tyson has encouraged employees to apply for other jobs with the company. It operates plants in four other Iowa communities, but none are within easy commuting distance. Tyson facilities can be found in Council Bluffs, Columbus Junction, Storm Lake and Waterloo. Storm Lake would be the closest at about an hour and 55 minutes away. The other locations are between two and three hours away.

Who owns Tyson?

Tyson was originally founded in 1935. The company went public in 1963 as Tyson's Foods, Inc under the leadership of Don Tyson, the son of the founder John Tyson. Don's son, John H. Tyson, is the current CEO and is worth an estimated $2.6 billion.

What brands does Tyson own?

Tyson has 31 brands including Hillshire Farms, Ball Park and Jimmy Dean. Tyson is one of the four big meat packers of the world, producing 20% of America's beef, pork and chicken.

CORRECTION: A previous version of this article incorrectly listed the other communities in Iowa that have Tyson facilities. A facility in Independence was sold in 2021.

Kate Kealey is a general assignment reporter for the Register. Reach her at kkealey@registermedia.com or follow her on Twitter at @Kkealey17.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Why is the Tyson plant in Perry, Iowa, closing? What we know