Tyson Foods plans to resume a second shift at its Amarillo processing facility by summer 2027, bringing back an operation eliminated earlier in 2026. The announcement comes as the company works to establish a partnership with Allied Beef Company aimed at supporting its beef business and strengthening the domestic cattle supply chain.
The Amarillo facility lost its second shift in January 2026, when Tyson laid off 1,700 workers. The company's plan now sets a target for restarting that shift by the following summer. That timetable follows an announcement in August that Tyson would restore the shift after ending operations at its facilities in Illinois and Utah.
The proposed partnership with Allied Beef is part of the context for the latest announcement about Amarillo. According to a news release, the companies intend for the partnership to strengthen the supply of cattle within the United States and support Tyson's beef production. Tyson is still working to build that partnership.
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller welcomed the announcement, linking the proposed collaboration to the interests of ranchers and the state's beef industry. In a statement, he said stronger domestic beef production and processing were important to protecting American ranchers and keeping prices down. Those priorities framed his support for Tyson's plans.
Miller also pointed to the planned return of the Amarillo shift as a benefit for Texas employment and American processing capacity. He said restoring the operation would mean more jobs in the state, greater capacity to process American beef and a stronger future for ranching families. His statement described those families as central to the agricultural economy.
“Texas is beef country,” Miller said, praising the announcement as good news for Texans working in the industry. He characterized the state as America's beef capital and tied his support for the Amarillo restart to the broader role of cattle ranching and beef processing in Texas.
Miller's statement also argued for increasing domestic production instead of bringing in more foreign beef. He said rebuilding the American cattle herd should go together with expanding processing capacity within the country. He described Tyson's planned partnership with Allied Beef as a welcome move toward giving American producers priority.
