Roof issue closes Smithfield plant in Tar Heel

TAR HEEL, NC (WWAY) — An issue with the roof at Smithfield’s meat packing plant in Tar Heel has stopped production for the time being.

Bladen County Sheriff Jim McVicker says his deputies were called to help evacuate about 2,000 workers from the plant around 10 a.m. He said the information he received was that a part of a ceiling has dropped several feet.

“Smithfield Foods is working to fix a problem with the roof at the company’s Tar Heel facility,” Smithfield Foods’ Director of Corporate Communication Kathleen Kirkham wrote in an e-mail to WWAY. “Our main concern is for the safety of our employees, and all employees have been sent home. The company plans to mitigate the impact of production losses by adding shifts at other plants.”

The plant had to be evacuated in June 2014 after an ammonia leak. It remained closed for several days as crews cleaned up.