Tyson contractor laying off 91 workers in Madison

Layoffs related to Tyson Foods meat plants are continuing in Nebraska.

Fortrex, a company that has contracts to clean several Tyson facilities, notified the Nebraska Department of Labor last week that its contract at the Tyson Fresh Meats pork plant in Madison is being discontinued, which will result in the loss of 91 jobs.

The company, which used to be called Packers Sanitation Services Inc., or PSSI, said in the letter that it has had the contract to clean the plant since November 2001.

“Recently, we received unforeseen notice from Tyson Foods Inc – Madison Fresh Plant that it has decided to end the contract at the Madison, NE location, meaning that Fortrex will cease services at this plant effective September 19, 2026. This will result in the layoff or relocation of all eligible Fortrex team members at this plant,” the company said in the letter.

Fortrex laid off 139 workers earlier this year after it lost its contract at the Tyson Foods beef plant in Lexington that closed.

In a statement, Tyson said ending the Fortrex contract is not related to any changes or cutbacks at the plant.

"The facility remains operational, and this change does not impact any Tyson Foods team members,” the statement said.

The Fortrex layoffs continue a trend of job cuts related to the food processing industry. According to the August edition of the Creighton University Mid-America Business Conditions Index, Nebraska has lost 4,100 jobs in that sector over the past 12 months.

The vast majority of those – more than 3,000 – came from the shutdown of the Tyson plant in Lexington.