Cargill to lay off 111 at Nashville plant

NASHVILLE, TENN. — A Worker Adjustment Retraining Notification (WARN) Act notice posted by the Tennessee Department of Labor & Workforce Development said that Cargill Meat Solutions Corp. expects to lay off 111 people at its location in Nashville.

The notice stated it would affect its “crumbles production” at the plant. Cargill notified the state agency of its action on Jan. 24. Layoffs are expected by March 15.

In a statement to MEAT+POULTRY, a sister publication of Food Business News, a Cargill spokesperson said the company’s North American protein business would move production for most of its crumbles product line from Nashville to Columbus, Neb., and Fort Worth, Texas facilities.

“In doing so, we’ll maximize production of cooked items used in prepared foods such as pizza, burritos, soups and hot snacks, for our customers,” said Chuck Miller a spokesperson for Cargill. “And we’ll position Cargill’s value-added protein portfolio for stronger, longer-term growth.”  

With the elimination of jobs in Nashville, Miller said eligible employees would be offered a severance package, and Cargill would help affected employees look for other opportunities at the company and outside the organization in the community.

“We are also providing them with support to aid in job searching and the application and interview process,” Miller said. “This was a challenging decision given its people impact. However, we are confident in the care and support we are providing, as well as that it is the right move to make for the future of our business. We will continue to produce pepperoni from Nashville, and there will be no disruption in delivering any of our cooked crumbles products to our customers during this transition.”

Additionally, employees at the facility are not represented by a collective bargaining agreement. Tennessee government officials stated in a letter the Northern Middle Local Workforce Development Area rapid response team, employed by the Mid-Cumberland Human Resource Agency, has been notified to coordinate services with Cargill and affected employees.

Cargill acquired the facility in 2016 and employed approximately 240 people before this announcement.