Gerald Lessard, Crystal Lake Farms president, has announced that its poultry processing plant in Jay, Oklahoma is closing its doors and laying off 110 workers. The 35,000-square-foot processing plant in northeast Oklahoma will shut down September 10. Economics prompted the shutdown, Lessard said.
Crystal Lake Farms is under the umbrella of Free Ranger LLC, which acquired the former Simmons Custom Process Inc. plant in 2015. Crystal Lake Farms and its parent company, West Liberty Foods will reduce its pedigree farming operations in Decatur, Arkansas by approximately 20 employees.
West Liberty Foods L.L.C. purchased the assets of Crystal Lake Farms and Free Ranger in February 2017. That acquisition included both breeding stock and processing plant assets to allow West Liberty Foods to produce free range, slower growing chicken.
Crystal Lake Farms produced all-natural pasture-raised chicken products and carried a step 4 rating from the Global Animal Partnership (GAP) and well as being non-GMO project verified meaning the chickens were raised with pasture-centered, animal-welfare-friendly farming practices.
“We are offering displaced employees the opportunity to transfer to other West Liberty Foods facilities, severance packages, team bonuses and we are working with Oklahoma and Arkansas to help the displaced employees,” Lessard said.
