Tyson plant closures prompt economic soul-searching in the Ozarks

When Tyson Foods announced in August that it was closing its 1,500-worker chicken plant in Noel, Missouri, residents knew the rural town would be hit hard. Some started leaving soon after the company — which employed more than a quarter of the surrounding county — broke the news.

The site shut down late last month, one of three October closures in a broader shake-up that the meat giant said reflected its “commitment to bold action and operational excellence.”

But Jimi Lasiter stayed put.

After 11 years at the plant, she was holding out for her $1,000 severance check and assessing the exodus’ impact on her community. By the end of September, she said around half a dozen colleagues had already left their tight-knit team of about 20; those who remained were packing office supplies and furniture rather than cuts of meat. She didn’t want to create more work for them by leaving early, and she wasn’t in a rush.

“If I’m gonna go someplace else, especially if I’m gonna get anything that pays more than $10 or $12 an hour, I’m gonna have to drive 45 minutes,” Lasiter said at the time.