Last Friday, the City of Lexington received the devastating news that Tyson Foods, the largest employer in the area, will close its plant on January 20, 2026. When a town of just over 10,000 people loses over 3,200 jobs, it is a significant development.

This, of course, is not the first time Lexington has experienced an impact like this. When the New Holland combine plant decided to close its doors at the same location, it required a lot of hard work. However, with the help of state incentives, local leaders successfully recruited IBP to buy and convert the plant into a beef packing facility. Along with the new plant came odor problems and the need to hire workers who were willing to work hard in difficult conditions. This was a difficult challenge for a community the size of Lexington (at the time) to deal with. Not only was housing a challenge, but the school system was ill-equipped to deal with the language and cultural barriers presented by new families moving to the community. Many long-time residents moved out of town, and some residents resisted the new employer.

Lexington demonstrated considerable resilience following the New Holland closure. I have always been impressed by the commitment of local leaders to face the new challenge head-on and convert problems into opportunities. Today, the Lexington Public School system is one of the top-performing school systems in the state. The town's growth has been phenomenal. Lexington was firing on all cylinders until the Tyson announcement.

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