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Rural town fights for survival after factory closure leaves a third of residents unemployed

Fox News
This article was originally published at StateOfUnion.org. Publications approved for syndication have permission to republish this article, such as Microsoft News, Yahoo News, Newsbreak, UltimateNewswire and others. To learn more about syndication opportunities, visit About Us.

Tyson Foods

Fox News

A small community in the Ozarks is facing challenges as they seek a way forward following the closure of a Tyson Foods Inc. plant, resulting in unemployment for almost one-third of its residents.

Resilient

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“The people around here are resilient,” Noel Mayor Terry Lance told Fox News. “I think a lot of the time you become as resilient as you have to be, and I’m not sure that that’s unique to small town America even. I feel like I see more energy as far as people wanting the town to go in — at least what I believe is — the right direction, than I have seen for some time,” he added.

Significant setback

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Last year, the small town in Missouri, with a population of approximately 2,000, faced a significant setback when Tyson Foods Inc. announced the closure of its chicken processing plant in the heart of the town at the end of October. Tyson had acquired the plant in 1998 as part of the buyout of Hudson Foods Inc., establishing itself as the largest employer in the county with 1,500 employees, including 650 residents of Noel.

Concern

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The mayor expressed concern upon hearing the news in August that Tyson would be halting operations, fearing that the town would struggle to fund essential services for its residents without the tax revenue generated by workers who patronized local businesses.

Population

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“I was concerned, very concerned that we might lose up to 25% of our population,” Lance said. “Everyone was concerned about it,” he continued. “Along with the population that I was afraid we might lose, I was concerned that we might lose up to half of our small businesses.”

Plant closure

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Following the plant closure, the town experienced a significant exodus of more than 300 residents, as reported by the mayor. Among those who left were Somali and South and Central American migrants who had arrived in Noel on H1B visas to work at the plant.

Job fairs

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In response, Lance and John Newby, the President of the McDonald County Chamber of Commerce, promptly arranged multiple job fairs involving numerous companies from northwest Arkansas and Oklahoma. Their aim was to assist the displaced locals in securing new employment opportunities. “It’s like removing the auto industry from Detroit,” Newby told Fox News. “That’s what the impact was here in McDonald County.”

Jimi Lasiter

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Jimi Lasiter had been employed at the plant for 11 years, while her sister, Theresa Lasiter, had worked there for five years before they were informed about the closure. “I panicked and started looking for jobs,” Jimi told Fox News. “It was hard to find anything.

Full-time role

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For almost half a year, she remained without a job until she eventually landed a position at a different poultry plant in the vicinity. Meanwhile, Theresa spent several months working through a staffing agency before landing a new full-time role.

Not easy

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“It’s not easy to find anything around here that will pay anything,” she said. “You get someone wanting to pay $11, $12 an hour, but they’re 45 minutes away. How am I going to survive on that?”

Gradually

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According to Lance, the town’s population is gradually returning to its pre-closure levels. However, the more significant challenge lies in the aftermath for local businesses, with some being forced to close down. “Most of the businesses relied completely on Tyson,” Theresa said. “It was a complete shock for everybody.”

Tyson workers

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Due to the absence of Tyson workers patronizing local establishments, Noel has seen a significant drop of nearly 25% in sales tax revenue this year, as reported by Lance. Consequently, the city council has been compelled to make budget cuts across various departments, including the marshal’s office.

Economic challenges

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Despite the economic challenges, there are individuals in the community who perceive the closure as a chance to revitalize Noel and restore it to its former status as a vibrant tourist destination, reminiscent of its glory days in the 1990s.

Depressed

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“It was a very pivotal moment with Tyson leaving,” business owner Dustin Shurback said. “The whole community was down and depressed, and sales were down. I had just this burning feeling within me that said, ‘Hey, we’re going to be okay. So, let’s put on a good face and let’s get to work,'” he added.

Shurback

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Shurback, a longtime resident of Noel, is the proprietor of three establishments within the town: the Elk River Coffee Shop, the River Ranch Resort, and a quaint local ice cream parlor. “Speaking from the tourism side of things, which is a ton of our revenue, I feel like it’s a step in the right direction for the town of Noel,” Shurback told Fox News. “A large hit at first. I even felt it at my ice cream shop — our sales plummeted. It was pretty rough.”

Tourism

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“But I think as the community comes together and focuses its direction on tourism, I really feel like we can make a huge rebound without having a processing plant in town,” he continued.

Geographical position

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Many residents, including Shurback, believe that Noel has the potential to leverage its unique geographical position. Situated in the southwest of the state with the Elk River meandering through it, the area surrounding Noel boasts caves and bluffs, making it an ideal destination for nature-loving tourists.

Cleanliness

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Shurback highlighted that the odor emanating from the poultry plant deterred tourism, and the Tyson employees, mostly migrants, showed little interest in maintaining cleanliness or integrating into the community.

Dedicated

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In January, three months post-plant closure, Shurback and a group of local business owners joined forces to establish the Noel Revitalization Team, a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering community unity and enhancing the town’s appeal to visitors. Their initial initiatives included coordinating a community clean-up event and installing flagpoles along Main Street.

Community

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“I think as the community comes together and focuses its direction on tourism, I really feel like our town can make a huge rebound without having a processing plant,” Shurback said.

Doubt

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However, there are individuals within the community who doubt that tourism alone will be sufficient to sustain Noel’s vitality. “I don’t think that that type of economy is going to work anymore,” Theresa said. “It would be nice, but the only thing around here now for tourism is camping or the rivers.”

Impractical

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According to the Lasiter sisters, the vision of having year-round tourism in Noel is impractical without the addition of new businesses to the town. “When we were kids, I remember there was a go-kart track and a movie theater. There was just tons of stuff to do. And now there’s nothing,” Jimi said.

Optimistic

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On the contrary, the mayor remains optimistic that by harnessing the town’s natural assets and enticing a diverse range of businesses specializing in art, crafts, food, or music, Noel can cultivate a self-reliant economy independent of large corporations for job opportunities.

Good future

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“As long as we have the bluffs and the healthy river system, Noel can have a good future,” Lance said, “It’s there, we just need to take advantage of it.” There was no response from Tyson Foods to the request for comment from Fox News Digital.

1 Comment

1 Comment

  1. PATRICK

    April 24, 2024 at 12:17 pm

    FJB AND TYSON!

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