By Brazil Stock Guide – JBS SA has agreed to buy a production facility in Ankeny, Iowa, and will spend $100 million to transform it into its largest U.S. plant for ready-to-eat bacon and sausages.
The 186,000-square-foot site, previously owned by supermarket chain Hy-Vee, will be converted from general food processing to producing fully cooked pork products. The project is slated for completion by mid-2026, creating about 400 jobs once all phases are finished.
“This announcement aligns with our long-term strategy to offer more value-added, ready-to-eat food products to meet the needs of our customers and consumers,” said Wesley Batista Filho, chief executive officer of JBS USA.
The investment follows a $135 million commitment in May to build a fresh sausage plant in Perry, Iowa. The Perry facility will supply raw materials for the new Ankeny site, enabling JBS to produce both fully cooked sausages and bacon.
Rick Foster, head of Prepared Foods at JBS USA, said the Ankeny plant “will not only expand our U.S. prepared foods business, but will also benefit from synergies and strategic supply from our other regional facilities.”
The Iowa projects are part of $835 million in U.S. capital expenditures announced by JBS USA in 2025. Other investments include $200 million to modernize beef plants in Cactus, Texas, and Greeley, Colorado, and $400 million for a new prepared foods facility under its Pilgrim’s Pride unit in Walker County, Georgia.
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