SPRINGDALE, ARK. — After a recent series of plant closings at Tyson Foods Inc., the company confirmed it will be closing two more facilities. Tyson Foods will cease operations at its value-added plants in Jacksonville, Fla., and Columbia, SC.

“We are making the difficult decision to close two of our case ready value-added plants,” Tyson Foods said. “We understand the impact of this decision on our team members. We will make every effort to offer them opportunities to remain with the company at other locations and will partner with state and local officials to provide additional resources. With a focus on optimizing our operational footprint, we are reallocating resources to operate as efficiently as possible, while maintaining ample capacity to serve our customers.”

In a letter to Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan and the State Trade & Rapid Response Program, Tyson Foods vice president Brandon Smith wrote that the last day of operations at the Jacksonville plant will be Jan. 8, 2024. Over 200 employees will be affected by the plant closing.

The announcement follows six previous plant closings.

In March, Tyson said it would close its Van Buren, Ark., and Glen Allen, Va., poultry processing facilities. Five months later, the company announced an additional four plants closing, those in North Little Rock, Ark.; Corydon, Ind.; Dexter, Mo.; and Noel, Mo.