Food manufacturers have been reshaping production networks across the United States as companies respond to shifting demand, cost pressure, and plant-efficiency targets. In Tennessee, that broader reset is now hitting two major metros: Memphis and Chattanooga. State WARN filings and company statements show JBS USA Food Company, Pilgrim’s Pride, and WK Kellogg Co. have together disclosed 673 job cuts tied to food production sites in the state.
Three companies filed notices covering 673 jobs
The largest single reduction comes from Pilgrim’s Pride, which said on June 12 it will close the harvesting portion of its Chattanooga operation while continuing to use the site’s deboning infrastructure. The company said 348 team members are affected by that closure, and its announcement tied the move to a $75 million investment in Ellijay, Georgia, to expand harvesting and portioning capacity there.
In Memphis, JBS USA Food Company filed an official WARN notice with the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development dated June 17. According to that filing, the company is permanently closing its Empire Packing facility at 1837 Harbor Ave., Memphis, TN 38109, with 208 workers affected and the closure effective August 14, 2026. The state memo identifies the filing as WARN #202500061 and says the company notified Tennessee’s Dislocated Worker Unit on June 12.
WK Kellogg Co. also filed an official Tennessee WARN notice dated June 8. The state said the company reported a permanent layoff affecting 117 workers at 2168 Frisco Avenue, Memphis, TN 38114, with separations scheduled from August 7, 2026, through October 2, 2026. That filing is listed as WARN #202500058, and the notice says both union-represented and non-represented employees are included.
Memphis and Chattanooga are the confirmed Tennessee flashpoints
The confirmed Tennessee impact is concentrated in two cities, with Memphis accounting for two of the three filings. JBS and WK Kellogg together represent 325 announced job losses in Memphis, based on the state’s WARN documents, while Pilgrim’s Pride accounts for 348 affected workers in Chattanooga. Those are the only Tennessee cities specifically identified in the available filings and company materials…