LeRoy seed plant closing without prior warning

LEROY, Ill. (AP) — A central Illinois seed plant is closing and will leave dozens of people unemployed as a result

The Pioneer Hi-Bred International plant in LeRoy closed Wednesday without prior notice to workers or city officials. Gregg Schmidt, spokesman for parent company Corteva Agriscience, says some employees will remain through the harvest season to complete the plant’s shutdown. Reportedly, 60 people worked at the plant last year, in addition to contract workers.

In a statement, LeRoy Mayor Steve Dean expressed shock over the company’s closing. He said he is aware it was a business decision that will help the bottom line, but adds it will cause “untold stress for many individuals and families.”

Wilmington, Delaware-based Corteva laid off 33 employees at its El Paso herbicide facility earlier this year. It was part of a corporate restructuring by DowDuPont, which spun off Corteva as a separate company last month.