UPDATE: Allen Harim to close Cordova processing plant
A local chicken processing company says that they are consolidating their operations, by closing one of their plants.
Allen Harim announced on Tuesday that they would be by consolidate its processing operation to one central location. This decision means they will be closing their Cordova, Maryland plant, come July. There are currently about 300 people who work at the Cordova plant.
“the Cordova facility was a one shift operation, one processing and one sanitation. The Harbeson facility is a two shift processing and one sanitation and it had more square feet, and it was able to produce the product mix we’re long term looking to market,” said Steve Evans, CEO of Allen Harim.
Officials say all employs will be offered jobs at the company’s other locations including a hatchery, feed mill and truck shop in Seaford, a hatchery in Dagsboro and main processing facility in Harbeson, Delaware.
There were apparently a combination of factors that lead to the decision. According to Evans, those factors include the age of the facility, a shift in the company’s product mix and a desire to improve the company’s competitive position in order to assure greater efficiency.
“We are very grateful to our Cordova-based employees, some of whom have been with us for a very long time,” said Evans. “We will do everything possible to help them continue their employment with us, or to help them find other opportunities.”
Officials say employees were notified on Tuesday about the change, and that they are planning to open an on-site career center to help employees during the transition.
Evans told 47 ABC, “we’ll be working with Talbot county to also look at opportunities within the area because we know that people come from not only in that area, they come from Delaware and several Maryland towns into that region.”
Much of the processing equipment will be moved to the company’s Harbeson facility in the coming months, according to the release.
Talbot County Council President Corey Pack says he was a bit surprised when he heard the announcement. Telling us he sees surrounding small businesses in Cordova taking a hit.
“there will be some impact,” said Pack. “workers traveling to and from the chicken plant stop for lunch and stop for gas and those kind of items, so I’m sure that some of our surrounding merchants will see some decrease in those revenues,”
According to Allen Harim, employees who decide to transfer over should make the same wage as they did in Cordova.
As for the soon-to-be-closed Cordova facility, we’re told its old but in good shape and that both Allen Harim and Talbot county are looking to find potential buyers or lessees.
