Smithfield Foods Closing Martin City Plant

Smithfield Foods is indefinitely closing its Martin City plant, which employs about 400 workers.

The move follows the closure of a Sioux Falls, S.D. plant, which is considered one of the biggest COVID-19 hotspots in the United States, where hundreds of employees have tested positive for the virus. Since the Martin City plan produces spiral and smoked hams from raw materials processed in the Sioux Falls plant, Smithfield executives said it would not be able to remain open.

“The closure of our Martin City plant is part of the domino effect underway in our industry. It highlights the interdependence and interconnectivity of our food supply chain,” said Kenneth M. Sullivan Smithfield’s president and chief executive officer.

A handful of employees at the Martin City plant have tested positive for COVID-19.

Smithfield is based in Virginia and owned by a China-based conglomorate.