BELLEVUE, Neb. (AP) — A Wisconsin-based company has decided to not reopen its flood-damaged plant in eastern Nebraska.
Jack Link’s spokesman Abbey Miller told the Lincoln Journal Star that the Missouri River flooding in March overwhelmed the company’s Bellevue plant, which sits just east of Offutt Air Force Base. The base sustained millions of dollars in flood damage, and nearby residents also lost their homes.
“The flood took a tremendous toll on our team members, their families, our site and the community,” Miller said in an email. She said the company did extensive testing of the facility before deciding against resuming production there.
“The safety of our team members and the importance of the quality and safety of the products we produce led us to this difficult conclusion,” Miller said.
Jack Link’s was working to find jobs for plant employees at its other facilities in the Midwest, Miller said. About 60 people worked at the Bellevue plant, according to the Nebraska Labor Department.
Jack Link’s, which is headquartered in Minong, Wisconsin, bought the facility in 2012 from Skylark Meats.
