With several difficult decisions ahead for workers of both Tyson and Holiday Resort, Emporia City Manager Trey Cocking noted on the most recent Q&A With Trey Monday morning it is his hope their first choice will not be to leave the community.
Saying the city wants its residents to stay and continue to be a part of the community, Cocking noted that there are ample opportunities available with a lengthy list of employers looking for qualified workers to fill vacancies within their operations. Additionally, Cocking says the recent closure announcements for both facilities have changed the equation in bringing new employers to Emporia.
While the city had no say in the closure of either facility, KVOE News did ask Cocking if he was afraid that the sudden developments would lead to a lack of trust amongst community members, specifically those who are set to be out of work. Cocking responded by saying “At the end of the day they won’t be working for Tyson” noting he does not want to see one bad experience with an employer ruin an individual’s outlook of a community that has so much to offer.
While there are choices for seeking future employment, Cocking stated he is hopeful residents will consider various options, including commuting or finding new work in Emporia, before choosing to move onto a new community.
During his interview with KVOE News, Cocking provided an update of sorts on the situations at Tyson and Holiday Resort noting that all Holiday Resort residents have been relocated. The future of the facility in West Emporia will be in the hands of state and Federal agencies, specifically the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services and the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. Cocking was unable to comment further noting they have not had any lengthy communications with either department since the appointment of Mission Health as the property’s manager earlier this month.
As for Tyson, Cocking reiterated that there was nothing the city could have done to entice the company to stay in Emporia noting the move was made from an operational efficiency standpoint. That said, the city and many other local entities have been hard at work in recent weeks trying to help provide necessary resources and services to those displaced by the closure that is set to be complete by mid-February at last word.
This includes a pair of unemployment benefits events Wednesday and Thursday at the Lyon County Fairgrounds Bowyer Community Building. Those are strictly for Holiday Resort and Tyson employees.
Sessions will take place at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. for employees of both businesses, with sessions strictly for Tyson workers beginning at 3:45 p.m.
There is also a job and resource fair at the Lyon County Fairgrounds on Jan. 8.
