Smithfield Foods to Close Pork Plant in Charlotte, N.C.

Smithfield Foods announced it will close its Charlotte, N.C., pork-processing plant and transfer production to its Tar Heel, N.C., facility to increase efficiency and better utilize existing capacity.

The company said it will provide financial and other transition assistance to the 107 employees affected by this closure. Smithfield plans to meet with employees to discuss options including transfer to other Smithfield locations. The company will also provide a financial incentive package for hourly employees to remain at Charlotte until the final day of production in December, a release said.

“Providing transition support to our Charlotte employees is our number-one priority,” Doug Sutton, chief manufacturing officer for Smithfield Foods, said in a release. “We appreciate their commitment to producing good food responsibly, and we hope many of them will continue in roles at other Smithfield locations.”

Smithfield employs nearly 40,000 people in the U.S. and more than 10,000 in North Carolina. The company boasts a portfolio of high-quality iconic brands, such as Smithfield, Eckrich, Gwaltney and Nathan’s Famous, among many others.