Cargill to close Milwaukee ground beef processing plant by May 31, laying off 221 workers

Milwaukee facility in Menomonee Valley set to wind down in April

Cargill Meat Solutions has notified state officials that it will permanently close its protein processing facility in Milwaukee’s Menomonee Valley, a move expected to eliminate 221 positions. The facility is located at 200 S. Emmber Lane.

Operations are expected to begin winding down in the coming weeks, with production scheduled to stop on or around April 17, 2026. The site is expected to fully close on or around May 31, 2026. Layoffs are planned to occur in phases tied to operational and customer needs, with the first separations expected around April 11.

What the Milwaukee site produces—and what it does not do

The Milwaukee location produces fresh beef, ground beef and value-added meat products supplied into large retail and food channels. The site is not a cattle slaughter plant, instead focusing on further processing and case-ready or value-added output.

Cargill has said production currently performed in Milwaukee will be reassigned within its North American network, including to a nearby facility in Butler. The company has also stated that customer supply commitments are expected to continue through other plants.

Worker transition steps outlined as closure timeline approaches

Employees at the Milwaukee facility were informed of the decision on Feb. 10, 2026. Cargill has indicated affected workers may apply for open roles at other company locations. The company has also described severance eligibility for employees who exit through the plant closure, alongside transition support during the wind-down period.

• Planned production stop: on or around April 17, 2026
• First planned layoffs: on or around April 11, 2026
• Planned full closure: on or around May 31, 2026
• Estimated jobs affected: 221

Broader cost pressures and capacity adjustments in beef processing

The Milwaukee closure comes amid a period of restructuring across the U.S. beef and meat-processing sector, where companies have faced elevated input costs and tighter operating margins as cattle supplies have remained constrained. Even as beef prices have remained high, processors’ profitability can be pressured when livestock costs rise faster than downstream pricing or when plants operate below efficient utilization levels.

In recent months, other major meat companies have also announced plant closures and workforce reductions in the beef segment, reflecting efforts to consolidate production into fewer facilities and to adjust capacity to available supply and demand conditions.

Cargill has described the Milwaukee shutdown as a portfolio decision aimed at aligning operations with current customer demand while prioritizing future investments.

Milwaukee footprint has been shrinking over the past decade

The pending shutdown adds to a longer-term reduction of Cargill’s physical presence in Milwaukee. Previous closures in the Menomonee Valley and elsewhere in the city over the last decade resulted in significant job losses, underscoring how shifts in supply conditions, operating costs and network strategy can reshape industrial employment in long-established production corridors.