Poultry company announces layoffs at Dothan plant
Layoffs expected at Dothan poultry plant; company offers jobs elsewhere for laid-off workers
DOTHAN, Ala. (AP) -- A poultry processing company announced Wednesday that it plans to lay off more than 500 workers at a southeast Alabama plant.
Poultry slaughtered at Wayne Farms LLC's Dothan plant will be sent to AlaTrade in Phenix City, company officials said. The deboning lines at the Dothan plant will no longer be necessary, and 560 employees are expected to be laid off by June 8, officials said.
"Overall it was a business decision for the long haul. Our facility will continue to run, our local farmers and suppliers won't be impacted, and we can help our employees find opportunities in this field or other fields," Clint Rivers, vice president and general manager of Wayne Farms Fresh Production Business Unit, said in a statement.
The Dothan plant employs about 900 people and Wayne Farms plans to offer jobs to workers at the company's other facilities, said company spokesman Frank Singleton. Wayne Farms operates two plants in Decatur and one each in Enterprise, Union Springs and Albertville.
The Dothan plant's hatchery and live operations departments will continue running as normal after the deboning line is shuttered, Singleton said.
