A decades-old business presence in Emporia officially comes to an end Friday.
Tyson Foods formally ends its time at 2101 West Sixth, over two months after shocking the city by announcing its closure in early December. The Emporia plant had over 800 workers, but Tyson chose to bolster its operations at its Holcomb plant, offering 200 positions there. Although there is no official word on how many workers found positions either in or near Emporia, numerous employers held job fairs over the last two months, while Southeast KansasWORKS and the United Way of the Flint Hills held a job and resource fair last month — with plans for a similar event by early April.
Emporia Area Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Jeanine McKenna says the local business community stepped up to help.
Tyson’s exit will have an impact on city revenues, with the company paying over $300,000 total per year in property taxes as split between the city, Lyon County and USD 253 Emporia. Tyson is also a “top-5” water customer, but City Manager Trey Cocking has said that translates to less than three percent of the $9 million revenue stream, or under $270,000.
The United Way of the Flint Hills’ better than 20 Community Partners have seen increased demand, according to United Way Executive Director Daphne Mertens.
The decision to completely close down the Emporia plant comes after Tyson’s decision to end its cold storage facility operations in 2020 and to transition from cattle slaughter operations to food processing work in 2008, a move that cut the Emporia plant’s workforce by more than 1,000 staffers.
Tyson executives have not responded to KVOE News questions about a range of matters including potential buyers, plant maintenance and upkeep, number of Emporia workers transferring to Holcomb and other items. Tyson has also not confirmed whether certain plant operations are being extended past Friday.
