May 25, 2013
Smithfield Foods Inc. is planning to begin its previously announced closure of a Virginia facility that makes hot dogs and deli meat.
The Smithfield, Virginia based company said Wednesday that it will begin layoffs at the Portsmouth plant in January and shut it at the end of March.
The company announced plans last year to close the plant in 2013 and shift production to a facility in Kinston in Lenoir County. Smithfield says the new $100 million facility in will hire 300 workers.
Smithfield said it was closing the plant because it cannot support the manufacturing technology changes and product development necessary to meet its needs.
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