Iowa chicken processing plant to close, lay off about 500
Mackenzie RyanCHARLES CITY, Iowa (AP) — Officials at a chicken processing plant in northeastern Iowa announced the plant will close in August, taking 500 jobs with it.
The Mason City Globe Gazette reports that the Simply Essentials chicken processing plant in Charles City closes on Aug. 5.
Employees were told Thursday in a letter that 479 plant workers, 22 administrators and 12 field operations workers would be laid off. The letter says the layoffs are expected to be permanent.
Simply Essentials has been in business since 2013, with a primary focus on health and wellness foods. It bought the Charles City plant in 2016.
The Iowa Economic Development Authority Board awarded the company $1 million in investment tax credits and $66,000 through a refund of sales and other taxes paid during construction.
