Two Tyson Foods plants in North Philadelphia that produce cheesesteak meat will close in the next two months, prompting layoffs for more than 200 workers.
The Original Philly Raw Plant on 520 E. Hunting Park Ave., which employs 119 workers, will close Dec. 13, according to a notice the company filed in accordance U.S. labor law. The Original Philly Cooked Plant on 4001 N. American St., which has 110 employees, will close Jan. 31.
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Tyson acquired the plants in 2017 when it bought Original Philly Holdings, which was created from a merger between Original Philly Cheesesteak Co. and Philadelphia Pre-Cooked Steak Co.
Original Philly Holdings supplies cheesesteak meat to food service, retail and convenience store providers. The products made at the two plants will continue to be manufactured in other Tyson locations, the Philadelphia Business Journal reported.
Tyson Foods told the Business Journal that the closures are part of its efforts to "increase the efficiency" of operations.
Tyson has closed six chicken plants and a pork plant since 2023. This week, the company announced it would shutter a beef and pork plant in Kansas that employs more than 800 people on Feb. 14.
Drought conditions in the U.S. have delayed ranchers' plans to expand their cattle herds, leading to higher cattle prices and companies like Tyson suffering financial losses. The company reported a loss of $291 million in its 2024 fiscal year and projects operating losses in the 2025 fiscal year.