183 skilled workers in food manufacturing will be out of a job as soon as November, while their employer tears down a portion of the plant and rebuilds. All will be able to file for unemployment insurance.
FPL Food LLC announced yesterday its plan to modernize its 22-year-old beef processing facility at 1301 Old Savannah Road in Augusta. According to a news release, full operations are not expected to resume until early 2028.
Cal Wray, President of the Augusta Economic Development Authority, met with the FPL Food CEO and founder late last week and was told the main production area will be torn down and rebuilt with more modern equipment.
“Augusta has been home to FPL Food for 22 years, and our success here would not have been possible without the people who have been part of that journey,” said Francois Leger, CEO and founder of FPL Food. “We are especially grateful to our employees for the hard work and dedication they have given this company. This investment is about preparing FPL for the future while continuing our commitment to our people, our partners and the Augusta community.”
Wray said FPL hopes the 183 can find work in the interim and re-apply when full operations resume.
“They won’t get all of their people back and will have to hire less experienced people. There will be a learning curve.”
Wray added that there are many opportunities for FPL employees with crossover skills to work at Aurubis, Textron, Amazon, and other manufacturers.
“FPL workers are able to adapt, pay attention to details, and innovate,” he added.
Six years ago, FPL Food made an initial expansion, and that portion of the plant will remain open to service its larger customers.
Throughout the transition, FPL will remain focused on serving its customers, supporting its producer relationships and communicating with employees as operations are adjusted.
FPL Food is a privately owned beef company serving retail, food service, and manufacturing customers while maintaining longstanding relationships with cattle producers throughout the Southeast. Visit https://fplfood.com/ to learn more.
