McHenry Times

Sen. Craig Wilcox (R-McHenry) has weighed in on Tyson Food's decision to pull its corporate employees from Illinois.

“We can now add Tyson Foods to the long list of businesses that are fleeing Illinois for a better business climate elsewhere,” Wilcox told the McHenry Times. “As Tyson shutters its Chicago and Downers Grove facilities for good, they become further proof that the anti-business policies put in place by Illinois Democrats are causing irreparable harm to our state’s economy."

Wilcox pointed out Tyson isn't alone in leaving the state.

"Leaders at Tyson Foods follow economic giants Citadel, Boeing, Caterpillar, Cryptocurrency Exchange FTX, and Highland Ventures in taking their businesses and jobs to other, more business-friendly states," Wilcox said. "How many businesses must leave Illinois before Democrats recognize the harm their policies are causing to our jobs climate? How many more Illinoisans must lose their jobs?”

Last week, Tyson Foods announced it would be relocating its corporate employees in Chicago and Downers Grove – as well as Dakota Dunes South Dakota – to Springdale, Arkansas. Tyson, the largest meat packing company by sales, did not give specific reasons for its move, but potential factors could be crime, taxes, and a trend of moving away from large cities.

According to Reuters, Tyson Foods’ decision will relocate about 1,000 corporate employees from its Illinois and South Dakota offices to Arkansas. The corporate giant employs 120,000 nationwide with 114,000 working in production plants.

Reuters reported that Tyson will begin a “phased relocation” of the employees starting early next year. The company believes the move will promote better collaboration and decision-making, as the Tyson family, who founded Tyson Foods, and several top executives have been based in Arkansas for a long time.

Tyson Foods’ decision to move marks the third Fortune 500 company to leave Illinois this year following Boeing, who moved its headquarters to Virginia from Chicago, and Caterpillar moving its headquarters from Deerfield to Texas.

The Fortune 500 list ranks Tyson Foods at 81, Caterpillar at 73, and Boeing at 60.

Also leaving Illinois this year was Citadel, the $51 billion hedge fund founded by billionaire Ken Griffin, as previously reported by Reuters. Back in June, Griffin announced the headquarters would be moving to Miami, relocating around 1,000 employees. It was made clear that Florida offered a better business climate and tax incentives. However, it was expressed by executives that crime was a also factor, noting that a Citadel employee was stabbed a block from the office, someone attempted to carjack Griffin’s vehicle, and protests occurred outside the Citadel headquarters.

Reuters reported that a spokesperson for Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Tyson is ‘making decisions based on its unique corporate needs and has planned growth in other parts of the state, such as a plant in Caseyville that will create 250 jobs.

Wilcox has served as a state senator since 2018 and is currently serving as minority spokesperson for the Veterans Affairs and Local Government Committees, and as a member of the Energy and Public Utilities, Financial Institutions, Human Rights, Labor, State Government and Transportation committees.