Butterball to cut operations in Carthage, costing 450 jobs

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Butterball plans to cut about 450 jobs from is processing plant in Carthage next spring, the company announced Wednesday.

The reductions, which won’t take effect until March 1, are needed to align the company’s products with consumer demand, Butterball officials said in a statement.

The plant will continue to produce ground turkey and turkey burgers, The Joplin Globe reported.

“Long-term adverse conditions in the commodities market, where Butterball has routinely sold excess protein produced at the facility, has resulted in the need to ramp down certain production processes at this location,” the statement said.

A “limited number” of turkey growers in the Midwest will be affected by the change but Butterball does not anticipate reductions for Carthage-area growers.

Butterball employees affected by the changes will have a chance to relocate to other company plants and will be offered severance packages, Butterball President and CEO Jay Jandrain said in a statement.