JBS announced that it is investing $135 million in a new plant in Perry, IA, which is set to produce 130 million pounds of sausage annually.
This move comes as U.S. meat companies face challenges from retaliatory tariffs, particularly from markets like China, which have made it harder to rely on overseas sales. JBS U.S. CEO Wesley Batista Filho said, “This is a plant that increases our footprint in the domestic market.” Construction is set to begin this fall, with the plant expected to be operational by next year.
Meanwhile, Johnsonville LLC is closing its Momence, IL, meat facility, resulting in the layoff of 274 employees. The company announced that production will be shifted to other facilities in Wisconsin and Kansas, where approximately 100 new jobs are expected to be created by the end of the third quarter.
