Windom plant ceases operations Friday, buyer won't retain employees
WINDOM, Minn. -- HyLife Foods says operations at its Windom plant came to an end Friday after the company found a successful buyer for the facility. The move means about 1,000 employees will lose their jobs.
According to the auction results filed Thursday in federal court in Delaware, the successful bidder for the pork plant is Premium Iowa Pork, based in Hospers, Iowa. The bid was $13 million in cash.
RELATED: Windom plant closure could leave 1,000+ workers out of a job
In a statement sent to WCCO, HyLife Foods says the buyer does not intend to retain the employees at the plant "despite significant efforts to avoid this outcome." The purchase is still subject to court approval.
The rest of the statement reads:
"We are working closely with the Minnesota Dislocated Worker Program and will have the Rapid Response Team on-site to offer career counseling, resources, and job search support.
This has been a trying journey for all involved; we would like to close by sincerely thanking our employees. Your dedication right up to the final day, is admirable. We wish both our employees and the City of Windom all the best."
HyLife Foods finished buying the Windom plant earlier this year, but last month they announced the plant could close its doors in early June if another buyer isn't found. The company has filed for bankruptcy, citing financial challenges from inflation, foreign exchange rates and high grain costs.
In a town of 4,800 people, the plant was Windom's largest employer and processed more than a million hogs a year.
The mayor previously told WCCO the town will lose nearly $300,000 in yearly tax revenue if the plant closed.
HyLife has also been helping to pay for Windom's new wastewater treatment plant, and more than $2 million would be lost there if the company leaves.
NOTE: Video is from May 22, before Hylife Foods announced a buyer for the plant.
