When Tyson Foods announced last month it would close its longtime beef processing plant in Lexington, Nebraska, the news sent shockwaves across the state and prompted sharp responses from local and state officials. But the same corporate announcement also included another major development — one affecting more than 1,700 workers nearly 600 miles away.
On the same day Tyson unveiled the Lexington closure, the company also confirmed it would eliminate the B-shift at its beef facility in Amarillo, Texas, cutting approximately 1,761 jobs and consolidating the plant into a single full-capacity shift beginning early next year.
The dual actions were part of the same restructuring plan aimed at “right-sizing” Tyson’s beef business, which the company says has faced mounting pressure from a shrinking U.S. cattle herd, tight market conditions, and prolonged financial losses.
A second blow hidden in the same release
While Nebraska leaders quickly responded to the Lexington announcement — calling it “devastating,” “unacceptable,” and urging Tyson to work with local communities — the Amarillo layoffs landed with equal force in Texas…