Cargill will permanently close its beef processing plant in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and eliminate 221 jobs, a company filing with the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development shows. The Cargill Meat Solutions facility is scheduled to halt operations around mid-April and complete closure by the end of May, according to the notice.
The Milwaukee site produces fresh beef, ground beef, and value-added beef products. The facility does not slaughter cattle. In its filing, Cargill said the decision was made "to better align our portfolio with current customer demand and prioritize investments." The company added that ground beef production will be shifted to its other North American facilities and stated there will be no impact on its consumer contracts.
Cargill operates seven other facilities in Wisconsin. The company indicated that some employees affected by the Milwaukee shutdown are expected to transfer to a nearby plant in Butler, Wisconsin, although the filing does not detail how many workers will relocate versus other outcomes.
Local and sectoral impact
The plant closure follows moves by other major meatpackers late last year, when JBS and Tyson Foods announced they were closing beef plants. The broader beef sector has been under cost pressure, with companies facing higher expenses tied to tighter livestock supplies.
Beef prices remain near record highs, driven by what the filing and related industry commentary describe as strong demand and reduced supply. U.S. beef packers have reported losses as constrained cattle supplies have forced packers to pay more for animals they slaughter and process.
The U.S. cattle herd has declined to its lowest level in nearly 75 years, a drop attributed in the filing to persistent drought that reduced grazing pastures. Separately, a halt on U.S. imports of Mexican cattle has further tightened available supplies, a restriction cited in the filing as part of measures taken while Washington seeks to prevent entry of a flesh-eating parasite.
In international trade moves referenced in the filing, U.S. President Donald Trump signed a proclamation to hike low-tariff imports of Argentine beef.
What the filing does not specify
The notice does not quantify how many affected workers will transfer to the Butler facility or provide a detailed timeline for individual employee transitions beyond the general production and closure dates. It also does not disclose the precise redistribution plan for all product lines beyond ground beef.