Source:  LIsa M. Keefe, MEATINGPLACE.COM, 4/12/10

Pilgrim's Pride Corp. announced Monday that it will close its corporate headquarters building in East Texas and a satellite corporate office in Atlanta, resulting in total layoffs of 213 employees. Both offices are expected to close within about 60 days.

Many Pilgrim's Pride employees at the two corporate offices have been offered positions elsewhere in the company. Still, the company expects to eliminate 158 jobs at its headquarters in Pittsburg, Texas, and 55 jobs in Atlanta. Layoffs are expected to begin in mid-June.

The closings are billed as part of the company's ongoing integration with JBS USA, which assumed a majority stake in the poultry processor at the end of 2009. Those offices' functions are being moved to JBS USA's headquarters in Greeley, Colo.

The announcement comes three months after Pilgrim's Pride laid off 230 people from offices in Texas, Atlanta and Virginia. 

None of the jobs to be eliminated in June are production-related, and the processing facilities and operations will not be affected.

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