GREELEY, Colo. %) (
%junkline(AP)—Swi%) f &
%endtag(%) Co. said Friday it has refilled nearly 1,300 positions left open after immigration authorities rounded up workers at six plants in raids the meatpacking giant said cost as much as $50 million.
A Swift spokesman also said a strategic review to determine the company’s future is continuing but no decision has been made.
Operations at Swift plants in Colorado, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Texas and Utah were suspended for several hours on Dec. 12 while Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested 1,217 workers on immigration charges. No company managers have been charged.
The staffing returned to full force at the two pork-processing plants last month and the beef plants this month, chief executive officer Sam Rovit said.
The Greeley-based company initially estimated the financial impact of the raids at $30 million for the fiscal year ending May 27.
It raised that estimate Friday to as much as $50 million, saying it has taken longer than expected to return the beef plants to full production, which caused higher costs and led to lost business opportunities.
In January, the privately held Swift announced it was looking at strategies for the future ranging from refinancing to a sale or initial public offering. Executives at the time said they made the decision after receiving unsolicited inquiries.
Swift’s majority shareholder is HM Capital Partners LLC and its investment partner is Booth Creek Management Corp. It is privately held with publicly issued debt.
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