Tyson sues rival-hired ex-worker

Tyson Foods has sued a former employee claiming he is violating a non-compete agreement.

Rex Holstein, who managed procurement and commodity purchasing for years at the largest U.S. meat company by sales, resigned from Tyson a couple of weeks ago and joined Mountaire, a chicken processor with corporate offices in Little Rock.

According to Tyson’s complaint, Holstein violated a non- compete agreement when he took on a similar role at Mountaire to the one held with Tyson.

Tyson argued that Holstein had intimate knowledge of confidential information that in the wrong hands could harm the company. It sought a restraining order for Holstein and Mountaire on Thursday. Washington County Circuit Judge Doug Martin granted one the next day.

For 28 years, Holstein worked various jobs at Tyson, most recently overseeing 100 employees and handling a budget worth billions of dollars for commodity purchases.

Court records show his salary was $320,000 a year and that he was recently paid a bonus in excess of $350,000.

The dispute is ongoing in Washington County Circuit Court.