Tyson Foods is closing 2 Philly-based meat plants, laying off more than 200 workers

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Tyson Foods said it will close two North Philadelphia plants, resulting in the layoffs of more than 200 employees.

In a notice posted this week, the company said it would shutter the Original Philly Raw plant on E. Hunting Park Avenue on Dec. 13 and its Original Philly Cooked plant at 4001 N. American St. on Jan. 31.

The two plants were acquired by Tyson in 2017 from Original Philly Holdings, Inc., who produce meats for cheesesteaks. At the time of the acquisition, more than 250 people were employed across the two plants. Original Philly started as the Roxborough Meat Co. in 1981 in the namesake section of Philadelphia in a converted garage.

A spokesperson for Tyson Foods did not immediately respond to a request for comment, however, Vice President of Company Operations Scott Shipferling told the Philadelphia Inquirer the closures are due to the “company’s business strategy to operate more efficiently.”

Tyson also announced the closure of a Kansas meat plant that employs more than 800 people. According to KCUR, this follows thousands of layoffs since Tyson closed six chicken plants in the United States and an Iowa pork plant beginning in 2023.

The company has been struggling with beef production as the nation’s cattle herd has dwindled to its smallest size in decades. Tyson’s beef business reported an adjusted loss of $291 million in its 2024 fiscal year that ended in September, compared with $233 million for fiscal year 2023, according to Reuters.