A representative from the Greater Dallas County Development Alliance outlines lessons learned while preparing for Tyson Foods shutdown this past Friday.

Executive Director Rachel Wacker tells Raccoon Valley Radio that the organization serves all of Dallas County, but in Perry, the development alliance helps with the economic development portion to help with dealing with closures. She emphasizes that the goal is to focus on the aspects that are right in front of them.

“We know that once again, things are going to be out of our control as far as the future of the building, when someone’s coming in, if someone’s coming in, and that’s where we’re starting to pivot to a reaction or repair sort of strategy, and that’s pulling in the same partners to say, ‘Hey, what do we want Perry to look like in the future?’”

Wacker describes that there is a captive workforce and with the recent closure, the alliance is trying to keep Perry residents close.

“We want them to keep them in their homes. We don’t want to have them drive too far away, or so far away that they have to relocate.”

The Greater Dallas County Development Alliance is working alongside the City of Perry to provide resources.