Pilgrim’s is planning on cutting 200 jobs in its facilities in Chattanooga, Tenn., according to reports in the Chattanooga Times Free Press. The company’s cook and cold storage facilities in its Market Street building will be shut down within the next two weeks, the company said.

A spokesman said that employees would be offered jobs at Pilgrim's remaining downtown Chattanooga facilities, and that 40 jobs already had been added at the deboning plant. There are no changes at Pilgrim's kill operation on Broad Street, nor to its deboning operation on Market Street, the company said.

Since May, the Chattanooga facilities have moved from Pilgrim’s prepared foods division to the small bird deboning division. Pilgrim’s spokesman Cameron Bruett said that the eliminated operations have been consolidated at more modern and efficient facilities elsewhere in the region.

J.Ed. Marston, the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce's vice president for marketing, said he's disappointed to hear about the job loss.

"Pilgrim's Pride has been a major employer for a long time," he said. "Although this is a large number of jobs, they'll remain a major employer. It's unfortunate but sometimes businesses have to make tough decisions. This reinforces the continuing need for job-creation efforts."

Source: Chattanooga Times Free Press