MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE, U.S. — Cargill said on Sept. 16 that it will close its Memphis, Tennessee, U.S., corn milling facility, which employs approximately 440 people, 120 being contract employees, effective January 2015.

The closure of the facility results primarily from the underutilization of the Memphis plant and its location away from the U.S. Corn Belt. The corn oil refinery will remain open and operate as a standalone facility to continue to serve customers.

For the employees impacted at the plant, Cargill will be offering opportunities to fill positions at other company locations in the region. Those who relocate to positions at other Cargill facilities will receive assistance. For displaced employees, Cargill will provide support including, interview and resume writing training, severance packages and the opportunity to attend career fairs.

“The decision to close our Memphis corn milling facility was made only after a careful examination of the current business situation and we examined all other possible options,” said Julian Chase, president of Cargill Corn Milling based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. “This was a difficult decision to make because we have an excellent team of employees in Memphis. It is unfortunate that we must close any plant because of the impact to good people, their families and the community.”

Cargill said it remains committed to its U.S. corn milling business and will leverage the rest of its network to continue to serve customers. Cargill will also continue to honor its community commitments in Memphis through the end of calendar year 2014.