SILOAM SPRINGS -- One Siloam Springs operating facility will close immediately and 238 jobs will go with it as a result of the Del Monte Food's sale of its Sager Creek vegetable business, the company announced Thursday.
Warehouse operations at the Kenwood, Jefferson and Springdale locations have not been affected by the sale, according to a press release.
"The Sager Creek brands do not align with the long-term business strategies and growth opportunities for Del Monte Foods,"said Dave Meyers, chief operating officer of Del Monte Foods.
Tim Schramm, of Coyne Public Relations, said there will be "a group that is retained to assist during the transitions phase," but the exact number of jobs has not been determined yet.
The company is not releasing how much Sager Foods was sold for.
Members within the Siloam Springs community don't feel the loss yet, but don't expect the local workforce to feel it either.
"We gave a good, balance economy in other industries," Wayne Mays, President and CEO of the Siloam Springs Chamber of Commerce said. "They're all concerned about workforce. A good percentage of people at Del Monte will find themselves at, we're thinking, Simmons, Lazy Boy.
"You try to take lemons and make lemonade out of it. There will be opportunities for these folks."
Arkansas Workforce Center, located in the Siloam Springs Chamber of Commerce office, has members dedicated to working with displaced workers, Mays said.
NW News on 09/20/2017