JBS subsidiary Friboi has opened a new beef plant in Brasnorte, Mato Grosso, Brazil.
The facility has the initial capacity to process 500 animals per day. The company has invested over BRL70 million (US$16.9 million) in its acquisition and construction, which has initially generated about 300 jobs in the municipality.
“We believe in Brasnorte’s potential, which will bring even more relevance to our cattle operation in Mato Grosso state. We have invested not only in building an excellent facility with modern equipment and workflows, but also in high quality training to our local workforce with a focus on occupational safety,” Renato Costa, president of Friboi, said in a press release. “We will continue investing in all our plants in the coming years, what reaffirms the company’s long-term commitment to Brazil.”
This is the first stage of investments in Brasnorte plant, which will count on production capacity and a larger scope of activities in the future, with another 900 job opportunities. The initial goal of the new operation is to meet domestic market demand.
More investments
In 2019, Friboi invested in equipment modernization and projects implementation to allow a better production flow in its facilities.
This month, for example, the company will start operating a continuous freezing tunnel in Barra do Garças, which will bring more agility to the operation, as well as increased capacity in Mozarlândia, JBS stated.
Also in January and March, two new hamburger lines will start operating in Campo Grande, which will double its production capacity. In February, the company will begin a second work shift at the Senador Canedo facility to meet rising global demand for animal protein – 350 new jobs have been opened in the city. The investments total more than BRL154 million (US$37.2 million).
Friboi has 45,000 team members in Brazil, with business units in 55 cities, being responsible for generating over 180,000 indirect jobs.
In addition to being a major global beef producer, JBS is the world's largest poultry company, according to the WATTAgNet Top Poultry Companies Database.