About 40 employees in the Wayne-Sanderson Farms regional office in Laurel, Mississippi, were notified that their jobs will be eliminated.
Those affected will transition out of employment with the company over the next several weeks.
“Our leadership team came to this very difficult decision after identifying and evaluating opportunities to create a more efficient and effective corporate structure to better support and enable the business,” stated Frank Singleton, a spokesman for the company.
“This decision was not taken lightly, and Wayne-Sanderson Farms is supporting the employees impacted through this transition.”
Wayne-Sanderson Farms was created through the 2022 merger between Sanderson Farms and Wayne Farms, which at the time were the third- and seventh-largest poultry producers in the United States, respectively.
Sanderson Farms was headquartered in Laurel, while Wayne Farms was headquartered in Oakwood, Georgia. The headquarters of the combined company has been in Oakwood, but an office presence has since been maintained in Laurel.
Singleton said that despite these personnel moves, Wayne-Sanderson Farms remains committed to keeping an office in the Laurel area, with roles “across multiple departments continuing to be based in the Laurel area.
“We will consolidate into the main building on the office campus (in Laurel) and Laurel-based leaders will evaluate our future office space needs and potential longer-term office options in the Laurel area that best meet the needs of employees and the company,” Singleton stated.
Wayne-Sanderson Farms is owned in a joint venture with Cargill and Continental Grain Company.
