SMITHFIELD, Va., Oct. 9, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Smithfield Foods will close its Charlotte, North Carolina, pork-processing plant and transfer production to its Tar Heel, North Carolina, facility to increase efficiency and better utilize existing capacity.

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

"Providing transition support to our Charlotte employees is our number-one priority," said Doug Sutton, chief manufacturing officer for Smithfield Foods. "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.

About Smithfield Foods, Inc.
Headquartered in Smithfield, Virginia, since 1936, Smithfield Foods, Inc. is a U.S. food company that employs nearly 60,000 people in seven countries and partners with thousands of American farmers. As one of the world's leading vertically integrated protein companies, we are dedicated to producing "Good food. Responsibly.^®" to feed a growing world population. We have pioneered sustainability standards for more than two decades, including our industry-leading commitments to become carbon negative in our U.S. company-owned operations and reduce GHG emissions 30% across our entire U.S. value chain by 2030. We believe in the power of protein to end food insecurity and have donated hundreds of millions of food servings to food banks, disaster relief efforts and community outreach programs in all 50 U.S. states. Smithfield boasts a portfolio of high-quality iconic brands, such as Smithfield^®, Eckrich^®, Gwaltney^® and Nathan's Famous^®, among many others. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com and connect with us on Facebook, X, formerly known as Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Threads.

SOURCE Smithfield Foods, Inc.