Tyson closes plant, faces China actions

Tyson Foods Inc. will be closing its Columbia, South Carolina, meat processing plant, moving production to another location.

The change eliminates more than 100 jobs.

Tyson, parent company of Tyson Mexican Original of Portland, said the plant will close in mid-August. The plant process pork for pizza toppings and taco filling.

Meanwhile, China is suspending imports from a Tyson chicken plant in Arkansas after a COVID-19 outbreak infected hundreds of workers in the state, Business Insider reported.

“Chinese customs official posted an announcement regarding Tyson Foods' Springdale, Arkansas plant — referred to by its registration number P5842 — on its website on June 21. The Arkansas plant is the only Tyson Foods location currently facing a ban from Chinese officials,” the website said.



Flag issue

Walmart has decided not to display the state flag of Mississippi in its stores there.

Normally the retail giant displays the state flag, but Mississippi’s flag incorporates the Confederate battle flag and is at the heart of current debate.

"We know the design of the Mississippi state flag is being discussed by various stakeholders," Walmart said in a statement to CNN Business. "While the issue continues to be discussed, we've made the decision to remove the Mississippi state flag from display in its current form from our stores."

The company said the move is in line with its 2015 policy ending sales of all merchandise featuring the Confederate flag.

"We believe it's the right thing to do, and is consistent with Walmart's position to not sell merchandise with the Confederate flag from stores and online sites, as part of our commitment to provide a welcoming and inclusive experience for all of our customers in the communities we serve," the company said in a press release.



Investment plan

First Merchants has announced a $1.4 billion community investment plan with the National Community Reinvestment Coalition and its community-based members and partners. The collaborative initiative began with a needs assessment in September 2019 and was finalized earlier this month, the regional banking company said.

The initiative, which extends through 2025, includes mortgage, small business and community development investments and lending. Philanthropic funding is a primary focus as well and will be funneled to low- and moderate-income communities across First Merchants’ regional market areas in Indiana, Ohio, Illinois and Michigan.

“The $1.4 billion Community Benefits Agreement accelerates First Merchants’ leadership in helping our communities and customers thrive,” Mike Rechin, First Merchants chief executive officer, said in a prepared statement. “At a time when low- and moderate-income neighborhoods are most vulnerable, we will provide hundreds of millions of dollars to help communities throughout Indiana, Ohio, Illinois and Michigan. The impact of these resources will last well into the future.”

The commitment by First Merchants will focus on underserved, low- to moderate-income and rural communities and provide: $398 million in mortgage lending, $423 million in small business lending, $580 million in community development lending and investment commitments, $3.4 million in sponsorships, grant, loan and investment opportunities, $10 million to open five new branches and/or loan production offices in low- to moderate-income communities, including Marion County and Lake County, in Indiana, Franklin County, Ohio, and Wayne County, Michigan.



New initiative

Yum Brands Inc., parent of Pizza Hut and Taco Bell, this week announced it will invest $100 million over the next five years to fight inequality through the "Unlocking Opportunity Initiative."

The initiative will focus on equity and inclusion, education and entrepreneurship, and aims to open doors for employees and communities around the world, the company said. The effort will begin in the U.S. where the company makes 40% of its sales.



To close

The New York Post reported this week that McDonald’s is closing its four-story eatery in Times Square.

Opened 17 years ago, the eatery served its last Big Mac on Tuesday.

A spokesman for the Oak Brook, Illinois-based company called the restaurant’s closure “a difficult decision,” although he insisted to The Post that it wasn’t related to the coronavirus pandemic, which has devastated tourist haunts like Times Square for months.



Unexperienced

The KitchenAid Experience, a regional outlet for kitchenware in downtown Greenville, Ohio, will close in late July.

The manufacturing plant and distribution center in Greenville are not affected by the store’s closing.



New brew

Parlor City Brewing has opened its doors in downtown Bluffton as the latest craft brewery in a growing regional market.

The company is located at 212 W. Market St., Bluffton, and is owned by Chris Bryant, a former Michigan resident.



Work planned

Indiana Michigan Power plans to invest roughly $9 million to upgrade the electric transmission grid in Delaware County.

The project involves the construction of a 69-kilovolt underground transmission line in Muncie that will run about a half-mile from the Kenmore Substation to existing above-ground transmission lines.

I&M rarely places transmission lines underground, but the growth in the area makes it difficult to replace the overhead line.



Backs start-up

Mary Meeker’s venture capital fund Bond is backing an Indian online learning start-up called Byju's.

In a press release, Bangalore-based Byju’s said it had raised an undisclosed amount from Bond, which was founded by Meeker, a Jay County native.

This is the first time Bond has backed an Indian start-up, according to the website TechCrunch..

“Endorsed by millions of students, Byju’s has emerged as a clear leader in education technology,” Meeker, general partner at Bond, told TechCrunch. “We are excited to support a visionary like (founder) Byju and his team in their quest to continue to innovate and shape the future of education.”



Credit transfer

Purdue University Fort Wayne has signed an articulation agreement with Ivy Tech Community College. The agreement allows students to transfer credits earned from an Ivy Tech associate of applied science degree toward a bachelor of applied science degree from Purdue Fort Wayne. Students can complete this degree entirely online.

The bachelor of applied science degree at Purdue Fort Wayne allows students with an associate of applied science to complement what they’ve already learned with a focus in business, supervision and leadership, information technology, information systems, or through an interdisciplinary track.

To benefit from this agreement, students must have completed an associate of applied science from any Ivy Tech campus, and must apply to and be admitted to Purdue Fort Wayne.

Once admitted, they can transfer up to 88 credit hours toward their bachelor’s degree, with a minimum of 120 credit hours required to graduate. A minimum of 32 resident credit hours must be earned while attending Purdue Fort Wayne face-to-face or online.

For more information, contact La Tishia Horrell, executive director of general studies, at [email protected].