Minneapolis-based Cargill Inc. announced plans to move its Springfield, Mo., meat slicing and packaging facility to Nebraska City, Neb., and Waco, Texas, affecting 118 employees. The decision to close the Springfield facility, which will occur March 11, follows a thorough assessment of Cargill’s turkey and cooked meats future business needs.

“These decisions are never easy, especially when they involve good people who do great work for our business,” says Ruth Kimmelshue, president of Cargill Turkey & Cooked Meats, Wichita, Kan. “We value the contributions of our colleagues and will do as much as possible to help those who are impacted find other employment, including at other Cargill locations.”

The decision to close the Springfield facility will help the company better serve customers given the meat products sliced and packaged there involve meat produced at other locations, including Nebraska City and Waco. 

“Given the scale of our facilities where this work is going, the proximity to raw materials and technology driven efficiencies that can be gained, in addition to the shipping logistics benefits for our customers, we believe this move better positions us for future growth in a highly competitive environment,” adds Kimmelshue. “Nevertheless, it always hurts when people’s jobs are impacted, which is why we will offer to provide them with an appropriate level of transition support.”