Cargill to shut Carthage plant

October 11, 2008 10:37 pm

— From staff reports
news@joplinglobe.com
CARTHAGE, Mo. — A Carthage shortening plant will cease operations in December, according to a release from parent company Cargill Inc.
The closing, announced Friday, states that the company can no longer continue to operate that plant at a financial loss.
“The employees at the Carthage plant have worked hard, and we recognize and appreciate their commitment and years of service,” Mike Venker, president of Cargill Dressings, Sauces and Oils, said in a statement. “We made every effort to make the plant profitable and keep it in the community, but ultimately could not continue to operate it at a financial loss.”
A spokesperson for Cargill was not available Saturday. Attempts to reach the local Cargill plant for comment also were unsuccessful.
The release stated that production at the Carthage plant would be shifted to a plant in Charlotte, N.C. It also stated that employees will be offered transition and outplacement support.
Cargill has regional plants in Wichita and Topeka, Kan., and in Siloam Springs and Springdale, Ark.