JOSLIN , Ill. – Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) recently announced that the State of Illinois is making resources available through the Invest in Illinois Fund to help attract potential buyers for the former Tyson Foods beef facility in Joslin. 

“The closure of the Tyson facility in Joslin has had a profound impact on workers, families and communities across Joslin and the Quad Cities,” said Governor Pritzker. “My administration, in partnership with the General Assembly, is committed to doing everything we can to support them and help the region move forward. Making the Invest in Illinois Fund resources available gives us another tool to strengthen the search for a buyer and position this facility to once again support jobs and bolster the region’s economy.”

Tyson Foods announced last month that it would end operations at its Joslin, Illinois, and Eagle City, Utah, facilities as part of a broader restructuring of its beef business citing historic cattle shortages, which impacted nearly 2,500 employees at the Illinois location. In response, the State has mobilized its workforce and economic development resources to assist affected employees while simultaneously working to identify opportunities for continued investment at the site.

Despite the immediate challenges facing the beef industry, the Joslin site remains a significant asset. The facility offers large scale infrastructure, an experienced workforce, access to agricultural supply chains, and proximity to major transportation networks. These advantages could support continued food production or other industrial activity under a new operator. 

 “This investment by the State is a great help to Illinois’ farm families and consumers as it can facilitate a new operator moving into the plant in Rock Island County. We have more than 14,000 family farms across the state raising cattle and we need this market reopened to keep our industry growing across rural Illinois,” said Illinois Beef Association Executive Vice President Josh St. Peters.