Tyson adjusts growing case-ready meats business

The continued growth of case-ready beef and pork sales in the Southern US has prompted Tyson Foods, Inc. to make some adjustments in operations, according to company officials.

The changes are expected to enable the company to make more effective use of its existing case-ready production capacity.

Tyson plans to shift some production from its Council Bluffs, Iowa, case-ready plant to its facilities in Goodlettsville, Tennessee, and Sherman, Texas. The two plants are closer to the company's growing customer base.

A portion of second shift case-ready production at the Council Bluffs plant will be suspended in mid-March and subsequently handled by the company's two other case-ready facilities, which have available capacity.

Gary Sheneman, senior vice president of case-ready beef and pork for Tyson said that if enough additional case-ready business develops in the Midwest, the company will consider reinstating the production we're suspending at Council Bluffs.

Tyson's case-ready facilities use beef and pork from Tyson Fresh Meats' operations to produce packages of steaks, roasts, chops, ground beef and other items that are ready for retail grocers to place directly into the meat case.