Pilgrim's Pride plans to cease production at a poultry processing facility in Batesville, Ark., where the company currently employs over 470 people. The company says it plans to sell the facility to another food company. Larry Jones, Director of the Independence County Economic Development Inc., said a plan is in the works to mitigate the loss of jobs from the closure, saying,
"We will be working with the prospective buyer, the AEDC (Arkansas Economic Development Commission), plant labor unions, and other community stakeholders to retain the maximum number of jobs and restart the plant as soon as possible."