Tuscaloosa-based poultry producer Peco Foods has announced plans to shutter three Mississippi facilities while expanding two others Mississippi locations and one in Arkansas. Changes are expected to be complete by mid-summer.
Mississippi facilities in Brooksville, Canton and Philadelphia will be closed, while additional investments are planned in West Point and Sebastopol, as well as in Pocahontas, Arkansas.
“Since Peco’s beginnings as a family-owned company 83 years ago, the industry has drastically shifted,” said Peco Foods Chief Operating Officer Bill Griffith. “By streamlining our operations, we can continue building a sustainable company that will support the families and communities of our team members and customers for years to come.”
The changes announced on Thursday “will position Peco strongly for future growth and industry leadership,” Griffith added.
The company pledged to support employees impacted by the closures, offering work in other Peco locations.
“By growing strategically, we can continue attracting and retaining the brightest in the industry and contributing to economic development across our footprint,” said Chief Executive Officer Mark Hickman. “We are thankful for the community support we’ve received over the years and look forward to impacting the region as a growing, thriving company employing thousands.”
Peco was founded with a hatchery and feed mill and has grown into one of the nation’s major suppliers, with some 7,000 employees in Alabama, Mississippi and Arkansas.
