Pork News
Smithfield to close N.C. ham plant
By Ann Bagel Storck on 3/11/2008 for Meatingplace.com
Smithfield Packing Co. has announced it will close its smoked ham plant on West Vernon Avenue in Kinston, N.C., effective May 9.
Smithfield's other ham facility in Kinston, which opened in November 2006, will remain open.
Smithfield cited the age of the Vernon Avenue plant as the reason behind its closure. Parts of the building date back to 1948, making it difficult and costly to modernize, the company said.
"The industry is moving toward more modern, efficient facilities that enhance food quality and promote food safety," Joe Luter IV, president and chief operating officer of Smithfield Packing Co., said in a statement. "The boneless ham facility we opened in Kinston in 2006 is a perfect example of that. We remain committed to the Kinston community and will study future opportunities for the plant."
Currently 476 employees work at the Vernon Avenue plant. Smithfield said they will be given opportunities to work at other company facilities in eastern North Carolina.
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