Tyson will close poultry plants in Virginia and Arkansas with 1,600 jobs

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A Tyson food product is seen in Montpelier, Vt., on Nov. 18, 2011. Tyson Foods says the company is closing two facilities that employ more than 1,600 people in an effort to streamline its U.S. poultry business. Toby Talbot/AP hide caption

A Tyson food product is seen in Montpelier, Vt., on Nov. 18, 2011. Tyson Foods says the company is closing two facilities that employ more than 1,600 people in an effort to streamline its U.S. poultry business.

Tyson Foods is closing two facilities that employ more than 1,600 people in an effort to streamline its U.S. poultry business.

The company said Tuesday it plans to close its processing, broiler and hatching operations in Glen Allen, Virginia, and a plant in Van Buren, Arkansas. Both closures are scheduled for May 12.

Tyson said the closures will help it better use all available capacity at remaining plants.

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The Springdale, Arkansas-based company said it will work with its 692 employees in Glen Allen and its 969 employees in Van Buren to apply for open positions at other plants.

Tyson has made other efforts to consolidate its operations in recent months. Last October, the company announced it would relocate 1,000 corporate staff from offices in Illinois and South Dakota to Arkansas.

Tyson said operating inefficiencies were partly to blame for its lower-than-expected profit in its fiscal first quarter, which ended Dec. 31. The company said its operating income dropped 68% to $467 million in the period.