New Pork Sausage Plant Underway for Iowa Town That Lost Pork Processing Facility

One of the world’s largest food companies is working on a new priority for an Iowa town. JBS USA -- based in Greeley, Colorado – plans to open a pork sausage plant in Perry, Iowa.

It will be a change in pork protein focus for the town. Tyson Foods recently shut down the pork processing plant. Perry economic leaders have been looking for someone to buy the former Tyson plant and start something new. What JBS is doing is not quite that.

JBS plans to construct its own $135 million facility in Perry instead of using Tyson’s former plant. JBS has also made plans to hire about 500 people, along with 250 construction workers. Tyson once employed about 1,300 employees. 

JBS provided an estimate for the Perry operations:

• Production: 130 million pounds of sausage

• Sows processed annually: 500,000

• Estimated people fed annually: 4,000,000

Commitment to Rural America and Rural Regional Jobs

Wesley Batista Filho, CEO of JBS USA, said in a statement: “This investment underscores our commitment to rural America and our confidence in the strength of the U.S. market. We plan to be a long-term partner for Perry and, if approved by the community, the facility will help foster job creation and economic stability in the region.”

Aaron Juergens, a pig farmer and president of the Iowa Pork Producers Association praised the announcement and the new opportunities it could mean for area producers. “We’re excited to see continued investment in Iowa’s pork industry with the proposed opening of this new processing facility,” he said.

“It strengthens our state’s leadership in pork production, creates new opportunities for pork producers, and supports the rural communities that are the backbone of Iowa agriculture. This is a win for pig farmers, Iowa’s economy, and for the Perry area.”

Iowa totaled nearly $11 billion in annual cash receipts as it leads the country in pork production. That is three times as much as the second highest state, Minnesota.

RELATED: American Farmland Owner looked at what was causing struggles in the pork industry a year ago as Tyson Foods announced that it was closing its plant in Perry, Iowa.