Cargill Plant Closes, Leaving Economic Hole in Plainview
By: Nick Ochsner
Updated: February 2, 2013
The Cargill meat processing plant in Plainview shut down Friday, leaving
more than 2,000 people without work and creating a major hole in the
town's economy.
Kevin Carter, executive director of the Plainview Industrial Foundation, says his organization estimates the plant's closing eliminates $80 million dollars just in salaries.
"It's certainly something we certainly didn't want to be on the news about," Carter said.
Despite that, his organization--which is repsonsible for recruiting major industries to the town of about 20,000 that sits along an interstate between Lubbock and Amarillo--is poised to help the displaced workers find jobs.
Carter says other area meat packing plants are already reaching out to the workers, hoping to take advantage of the pool of trained talent now looking for work.
"There has been three or four other big packing companies in our area that have come down and tried to recruit some of these guys," he said.
While that news is good for workers, it's not necessarily good for the town itself. Carter says his organization will focus on diversifying the types of industry and job providers as it recruits business in the future, hoping to avoid a massive sting like the one left by the Cargill plant's closing.
Kevin Carter, executive director of the Plainview Industrial Foundation, says his organization estimates the plant's closing eliminates $80 million dollars just in salaries.
"It's certainly something we certainly didn't want to be on the news about," Carter said.
Despite that, his organization--which is repsonsible for recruiting major industries to the town of about 20,000 that sits along an interstate between Lubbock and Amarillo--is poised to help the displaced workers find jobs.
Carter says other area meat packing plants are already reaching out to the workers, hoping to take advantage of the pool of trained talent now looking for work.
"There has been three or four other big packing companies in our area that have come down and tried to recruit some of these guys," he said.
While that news is good for workers, it's not necessarily good for the town itself. Carter says his organization will focus on diversifying the types of industry and job providers as it recruits business in the future, hoping to avoid a massive sting like the one left by the Cargill plant's closing.
