Just before the holiday season, Archer Daniels Midland Co. (ADM), a significant employer in North Memphis, has decided to permanently shut down its facility at 2782 Chelsea Ave, news that comes as a hard blow to nearly 100 workers who will be laid off by the end of January 2026, as reported by Action News 5. The company's decision to close its doors was part of a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act filing with the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development announced on Dec. 19.
Following the closure announcement, which will see 95 employees losing their jobs, ADM revealed a new joint venture with Planters Cotton Oil Mill Inc. in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, highlighting strategic changes in their operations, which involve closing the Memphis cottonseed crushing plant while keeping the oil refinery in operation as part of this new collaboration. "This new joint venture will help ensure the continued strength, stability and efficiency of the cottonseed supply chain, from farmers to gins to end customers," Fred Serven, general manager of ADM's cottonseed business, told FOX13 Memphis in a statement.
Memphis has seen its fair share of job reductions this year, with these layoffs bringing Shelby County's total to 1,374, which, while fewer than last year's 1,523, continues a trend of job instability in the region as noted by FOX13 Memphis. ADM's Memphis operations have been a part of the community since the facility was acquired in 1980, leaving a notable gap with its departure.
The venture between ADM and Planters Cotton, granting ADM a 60% ownership stake, aims to "better serve both suppliers and customers," according to a company news release, and while this strategic move may benefit some stakeholders, the employees facing job loss early next year are confronting a very different reality as they navigate what comes next after a long-standing establishment winds down its presence in Memphis, as detailed by The Commercial Appeal.
