A $300 million meat-processing plant just minutes from Lehi is closing for good, eliminating 723 jobs and an estimated $44 million annual payroll from the I-15 corridor.

Tyson Foods announced Thursday, Aug. 13, that it will permanently shut down its Eagle Mountain case-ready beef facility at 3817 N. Tyson Parkway. The closure takes effect on or around Oct. 12, according to a WARN Act notice filed with the Utah Department of Workforce Services the same day.

It's the largest Utah layoff of 2026.

The plant opened in 2021 after the state lured Tyson with up to $5.3 million in tax credits and a $300,000 infrastructure grant, projecting the facility would generate $27.8 million in new state tax revenue over a decade. According to the Salt Lake Tribune, Tyson collected between 25% and 50% of that tax credit before announcing the shutdown.

Why it's closing

Tyson blamed a historic cattle shortage. The U.S. beef cow herd fell to 27.6 million head as of Jan. 1, 2026, the lowest since 1951, according to USDA data. The American Farm Bureau Federation said the herd likely won't expand until at least 2028.

In its Aug. 13 press release, Tyson said it is restructuring to "create a more competitive footprint amidst one of the most historic cattle shortages the country has ever experienced." The company is consolidating beef operations around three central U.S. plants in Nebraska, Kansas and Texas.

DTN livestock analyst ShayLe Stewart told Western Ag Network: "The cattle complex is changing and this is by no means the same marketplace cattlemen had a year ago, five years ago or even back in 2015."

Tyson's beef segment posted a record $1.3 billion operating loss in fiscal year 2025 and has accumulated $701 million more in losses through three quarters of fiscal 2026, according to Talk Business & Politics. Analysts at Stephens Inc. estimated the closures will save Tyson $100 million to $150 million annually.

What it means locally

The Eagle Mountain plant sits adjacent to Lehi along the same stretch of I-15 that connects the area's tech corridor employers. The $44 million annual payroll loss could reduce spending at nearby restaurants, retailers and service businesses that depend on plant workers' paychecks.

Ground beef prices are already at record levels. The average retail price for a pound of lean ground beef hit $8.65 in June, according to Reuters.

Help for displaced workers

The Utah Department of Workforce Services offers free Rapid Response workshops for laid-off workers, including job-search assistance through jobs.utah.gov, unemployment insurance guidance, job training referrals and COBRA health coverage information.

Workers or employers can contact the state's Dislocated Worker Unit at [email protected] or 801-526-4312.

Tyson said it will help affected employees apply for open positions at other company facilities. The nearest remaining Tyson beef plants are in Dakota City, Nebraska, and Amarillo, Texas.