Pilgrim's Pride Corp. on Monday announced plans to close its chicken processing plant in Dalton, Ga., within 60 days and consolidate production at the company's processing facility in Chattanooga, Tenn.

Approximately 280 employees who work at the Dalton plant will be affected by the closing, Pilgrim's Pride said in a news release. Pilgrim's Pride will provide transition programs to employees whose positions are eliminated.

The hatchery in Cohutta, Ga., will continue to operate. Other live production operations will also continue to function, but as a part of the Chattanooga complex or other nearby operations. Some 120 independent contract growers who supply birds to the Dalton processing plant will be transitioned to begin supplying the company's Chattanooga plant or other nearby company facilities within about 90 days.

Pittsburg, Texas-based Pilgrim's Pride filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last December, and President and CEO Don Jackson said closing the Dalton plant is part of the company's plan to improve its cost structure as it reorganizes. "While the decision to eliminate jobs is always painful, we are taking decisive steps now to protect the greatest number of jobs in order to restructure our business and ultimately emerge from Chapter 11 as a stronger, more efficient competitor," Jackson said.

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