Lay-Offs Ahead of Closure of Kosher Valley Poultry Plant

PLAINVILLE, NY [WSYR-TV] — 98 employees at the former Plainville Turkey Farm in Lysander are officially out of a job tonight. The current owner of the facility has announced their temporary layoffs will permanent.

Hain Pure Protein, current owners of the farm and processing plant, informed the employees of the plan to close the facility by letter. Employees also received a final paycheck for 13 weeks of pay and benefits.

Originally, the 98 workers were temporarily laid off in May. At the time they were told they’d be brought back to work within six months, once retooling was complete. Now, a Hain Pure Protein spokesperson says that due to economic reasons, the reopening isn’t possible at this time.

Town Supervisor Barry Bullis says he was also informed about the company’s plans. “The concern of course is 98 people being out of work and losing their jobs. I don’t know if there are any plans to turn this around or not. We certainly don’t like to see that happen in any case. Things are bad enough without losing any ground,” he said.

The Plainville name was a staple on many dinner tables in Central New York, especially during Thanksgiving. The brand’s turkeys are still available, and even have a Facebook page, which indicates those turkeys are being loaded up on the farm and shipped to grocery stories. In this case, however, the farm is located in New Oxford, Pennsylvania.