October 2026 EA - International!

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Tyson Foods closes two plants

Amid restructuring of its beef operations, Tyson Foods in

August announced the closure of its Joslin, Ill.

and Eagle Mountain, Utah, processing plants.

The Eagle Mountain plant had been operating

for only fi ve years before the announcement.

Tyson Foods is also pursuing the sale of one of

its Washington state beef processing facilities.

The Joslin closure impacted about 2,500 employees, while 723

employees were aff ected by the Utah facility closure.

Oklahoma wire company ceases operations

The welding wire division of National Standard in Stillwater,

Okla., will cease operations this autumn. The ARC, high carbon

and other industrial wire divisions of the manufacturing com-

pany will remain open and continue to service

industries like aerospace, automotive, con-

struction, and toolmakers. National Standard

will shift to distributing welding wire instead

of manufacturing. About 93 employees will be

aff ected by the closure. According to the com-

pany, National Standard wire is used to support production of

HVAC systems, specifi cally its “low carbon steel wire is ideal for

fabrication, fasteners, bucket handles, shelving, and more.”

Computer manufacturing plant opens

The August opening of a new Apple Mac Mini manufactur-

ing facility in Houston was attended by Tim Cook, then CEO of

Apple, and Howard Lutnick, U.S. Secretary of Commerce. (Cook

became Apple’s executive chairman Sept. 1 and

was succeeded as CEO by John Ternus.) The

plant will house advanced AI servers and free

manufacturing training before the beginning

of production of the Mac Mini desktop com-

puters later this year. Courses are available to

small and medium-sized businesses with hands-on instruction

for advanced automation and printed circuit board assembly

design.

Wisconsin manufacturer closing this month

Durr CTS (Clean Technology Systems) is beginning the clo-

sure of its De Pere, Wis., facility this month.

The company produces panel fi lters, fl otation

dryers, and regenerative thermal oxidizers

among other products geared toward reduc-

ing

pollution

and

creating

sustainable

industrial processes at factories. The more than

70 employees being laid off range from control specialists and

welders to managers and production coordinators.

Soybean processing plant opens

A new soybean processing plant in Gilman, Ill., is poised to

produce up to 300,000 bushels a day. The Inco-

brasa Industries facility, opened early this past

summer, includes “a 50-acre solar array with

the capacity to generate enough energy to pro-

vide power directly to the plant or to feed to the

grid,” WCIA News reported. The plant brings

with it 40 new jobs. — Kristine Weller

EA

Plant Happenings

Get in Touch:

www.morganperformancecarbon.com

At Performance

Carbon we

engineer the

solutions that

extend the life

of your motors

& generators

Made in the USA

12 ELECTRICAL APPARATUS | OCTOBER 2026