Tyson Foods plans to bring a second shift back to its Amarillo beef plant after cutting roughly 1,700 jobs at the facility earlier this year.
The company announced Thursday that it is restructuring its beef processing network, a move that includes closing facilities in Illinois and Utah and finalizing the sale of a plant in Washington.
In Amarillo, the changes mean the plant will once again operate two shifts, although Tyson did not say when the second shift will return or how many workers it expects to hire.
The company said the positions will come back “as cattle become available.”
Tyson moved the Amarillo plant to a single shift in January, resulting in approximately 1,700 layoffs. The cutback came as beef processors struggled with a tight supply of cattle.
There had already been indications that Tyson expected those jobs to eventually return.
In May, the Potter County Commissioners Court approved an application from Tyson to participate in a tax incentive program through the Office of the Texas Governor.
During that process, Amarillo plant manager Casey Trimble told commissioners the company hoped to rehire the positions lost in January within two to three years.
Thursday’s announcement did not say whether that timetable has changed.
Tyson said employees who lose their jobs as a result of the closures and other changes announced Thursday will be able to apply for positions at other company facilities.
The restructuring comes as the beef industry continues to deal with historically tight cattle supplies.
Tyson pointed to U.S. Department of Agriculture inventory data showing the supply of cattle available for processing is expected to remain limited.
The latest cattle report from the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, released July 24, showed some improvement in overall cattle inventory. However, the calf crop is projected to decline by 2% this year, which could continue to limit the number of cattle available to processors.
The cattle shortage has put pressure on beef processors, which have fewer animals competing for available processing capacity. Tyson’s decision to consolidate its beef operations comes as the company adjusts its network to those conditions.
For Amarillo, the announcement is a significant change from where the plant stood at the beginning of the year.
Tyson has long been one of the city’s largest private employers. According to the Amarillo Chamber of Commerce, the company employed about 4,300 people in February 2022, making it the third-largest employer in Amarillo at the time.
The January layoffs cut deeply into that workforce.
While Thursday’s announcement confirms Tyson intends to restore two-shift operations in Amarillo, several details remain unanswered. The company did not provide a hiring date, say how many positions will return or indicate whether former Amarillo employees will receive preference for the new jobs.
