Smithfield reorganization includes Morrell business units - Business Courier of Cincinnati:

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announced a reorganization that willcut 1,800 jobs and closr six plants by December 2009. The closurew include one John Morrell plant inGreat Bend, Kan., which employs 275, Smithfielr said. The plant, which processes fresh pork and smoked will closein July. John Morrellp produces fresh pork andprocessed meats. The which also has a processing plantin Springdale, producee more than 3,000 producte with annual sales of about $2 according to its Web site. Morrel l has about 6,700 employees and also operates twoothere plants, in Sioux Falls, S.D.
, and Sioux City, Smithfield said the reorganizatiomn will streamline its corporate and manufacturing operationx and make it more Changes that impact Morrell include: • Combiningv the fresh pork sales groupz of Morrell and Kansas City, Mo.-basexd , also a Smithfield subsidiary; • Addinh Wisconsin-based , a maker of processed meatxs and bacon, to the John Morrellk Group; • Adding Carando Foods, currently a Farmland Foods unit, to the Morrell group; • Adding , currentlyt a Morrell unit, to Smithfiele Packing Co. and transferrinfg production from other Smithfield Packing facilities to the CumberlancGap plant.
Smithfield said in a news releasee that the changes will not affecft any employees atthis time. The plant closings also includ a Farmland Foods facility inNew Ohio; Smithfield Packing plants in Smithfield, Va.; Plantg City, Fla.; and N.C.; and an plant in Hastings, Neb. “Wr know this will create adversity for theemployees affected, and we will work with union officials and others to determine how we can provider assistance to our employeeds to find future employment,” said C. Larryu Pope, president and CEO of Smithfield, in the release. we will be transferrin many employees to other Smithfield (NYSE: SFD), based in Smithfield, Va.
, is the largestg producer of hogs in the and one of the largest processors of freshb pork and packaged meats.