Tyson Foods is closing two Philly plants, laying off hundreds of workers
The plants are part of Original Philly Holdings, which produces cheesesteak meat.
Tyson Foods is closing two facilities in North Philadelphia associated with the Original Philly Cheesesteak Co. brand, eliminating hundreds of jobs.
The closures were made public in a layoff notice Tyson filed this week with the Pennsylvania Dept. of Labor and Industry, as is required by the federal WARN Act. The plants are at 520 E. Hunting Park Ave. and 4001 N. American St., and 229 workers are expected to be laid off.
Original Philly Holdings Inc. — the result of a merger between Original Philly Cheesesteak Co. and Philadelphia Pre-Cooked Steak Co. — was acquired by Tyson Foods in 2017. At the time, Tyson did not discuss its plans for the Philadelphia plants.
Tyson is now closing the two plants “as part of the company’s business strategy to operate more efficiently,” Scott Shipferling, vice president of operations at Tyson Foods, said in the Dec. 2 WARN Act notices.
The estimated last day of production is Dec. 13 at Hunting Park Avenue and Jan. 31 at American Street.
“Tyson Foods regrets that its team members must be displaced yet hopes to accomplish this plant closing with the least possible disruption to team members, their families, and the community,” the notice said.
Original Philly got its start in Roxborough in 1981 under the name Roxborough Meat Co. Its products are used by restaurants, stadiums, hospitals, and colleges.
Tyson described Original Philly as “one of the nation’s leading producers of raw and fully-cooked Philly-style sandwich steak and cheesesteak appetizer products,” in a statement about the acquisition in 2017.
At the time of the acquisition, the company had 250 workers employed across its two Philadelphia plants and brought in around $130 million in annual sales.
More closures across the country
Tyson Foods, headquartered in Arkansas, is the largest meat company in the country in terms of sales, according to Reuters. The meat purveyor touts that it produces roughly 20% of the country’s supply of pork, chicken, and beef, and brought in $53 billion in sales in the 2022 fiscal year.
The company also owns the Jimmy Dean, Ball Park, and Hillshire Farm brands.
Tyson Foods announced another closure in Emporia, Kan., this week, which will affect over 800 workers at a beef and pork plant, according to Reuters.
Since 2023, the company has closed six chicken plants and a pork plant in the U.S.
Tyson leaders had previously misjudged the demand for chicken, according to Reuters. The company also faces challenges in the beef sector as the supply of available cattle has dwindled compared to past decades, pushing prices up.