Scott Spradley
Tyson Foods Inc. of Springdale said it has hired an outside service provider to handle its information technology work, a move that will affect about 330 IT jobs at Tyson, mostly in Chicago and Springdale.
The company did not release the name of the provider but spokesman Gary Mickelson said it was a global company with an office in northwest Arkansas. Tyson said the decision to hire a third-party vendor for its information technology work came after a one-year review.
The company had previously announced 500 jobs would be cut because of a 2020 restructuring plan, and the IT jobs represent a majority of those positions, the company said in a news release.
“The speed and scale of new technology presents a huge opportunity for us,” said Scott Spradley, Tyson’s chief technology officer. “While we’ve made significant progress over the past two years enhancing our computing systems and digital capabilities, we need to drive more rapid improvements in our digital transformation to remain competitive.”
Tyson said affected employees will be offered positions with the third-party service provider or be offered a severance package. Tyson said the switchover to the new provider will take place over the next few months.
“While it’s the right thing to do for the business, it’s a very difficult decision,” Spradley said. “That’s because it will result in organization changes in our information technology team, including some job loss.”
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