Lexington Hopes for Compassion from Tyson to Allow Facility to Find New Use
November 25, 2025
LEXINGTON, NE., – The Lexington, Nebraska, community is reeling after the closure of the Tyson plant was announced, especially as the holiday season begins in earnest.
Clay Patton is the vice president of the Chamber of Commerce and said Tyson had recently worked to squelch rumors of even slowed production at the Lexington plant so the complete closure came as a shock.
“That’s where it left us in a lurch of we’re not retraining these people, we’re not relocating them, this is a Dear John letter of your employment ends on January 20, good luck, thanks for the help,” Patton said. “That’s a major slam when it employs 30% of the population, but realistically probably closer to 50% by the time you figure that population number with kids and spouses.”
He said Monday was a busy day with great interest in the labor force with outreach from Sustainable Beef, JBS, Gibbon Packing, and even Butterball have worked to schedule interviews and job fairs.
“The labor is in high demand, but that doesn’t help us from a community perspective because that labor, in these instances, would be leaving.”
Patton said there is also interest in the facility itself, though he did confirm it is not currently for sale. The campus was previously a New Holland combine plant.
“There is the infrastructure there for a multitude of industries,” he said. “That’s where I am hopeful that Tyson will show us a shred of community compassion and even if there will be bumpers or limits on it, let us do something with that facility so it doesn’t sit idle and it doesn’t suck every ounce of business out of the community that it once supported.”
Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen, a Republican, said, “Nebraska’s cattle industry is resilient and the envy of the world. And our workforce can outwork anybody.”
“Big picture — our excellent cattlemen and cattle feeders have emerging opportunities and will still have the Tyson market to sell into as its planned re-organization will boost capacity and jobs at other Nebraska plants.
“Tyson leadership has also promised to continue to work on future value-added opportunities here in the state,” Pillen said. “The state of Nebraska is ready to build for the future and do what it can do to support employees affected by this change.”
Source: Rachel Gabel, The Fence Post Magazine and Western Ag Network
