Tyson Foods has announced it will be closing its Lexington, Nebraska, beef processing facility in an effort to optimize production and strengthen its long-term business plan.
In a news release, the company says it will be shifting its Amarillo, Texas, beef facility to a single, full-capacity shift and increase production at other facilities. Tyson says it recognizes the impact the closing will have on the community and will work with employees on relocation opportunities. The plant is Lexington’s biggest employer and has about 3,000 employees.
The facility is expected to close around January 20, 2026.
Deb Fischer, a Republican on the Senate Ag Committee, says she is disappointed by the news, and it will have devastating impact on the rural economy. The senior senator from Nebraska says she is calling on Tyson to do everything to help the employees losing jobs.
Senator Pete Ricketts says the news is heartbreaking during the holiday season and will help the workers find other jobs in the state.
Congressman Adrian Smith, who represents the Lexington community, says he’s disappointed by the news and is welcoming input from producers and will assist the community moving forward.
Congressman Mike Flood says ranchers have dutifully raised cattle even during difficult economic times and now they are being abandoned. He says after Tyson closed the Norfolk plant in 2006, the company stripped it bare, and the plant remains empty today.
Governor Jim Pillen says producers will have opportunities to sell into the Tyson market since its re-organization will increase capacity at other Nebraska plants. He says the company’s leadership has promised to work on future value-added opportunities in the state.
