Expansion will increase harvesting and portioning capacity; Chattanooga harvesting operations to close, affecting 348 employees.
Pilgrim's Pride will invest approximately $75 million to expand and modernize its poultry facility in Ellijay, Georgia, while closing harvesting operations at its Chattanooga, Tennessee, plant as part of a strategic portfolio realignment.
Improvements at Ellijay facility
The investment in Ellijay will increase harvesting and portioning capacity and enable the facility to produce a broader mix of higher-value, boneless chicken products — including those used in popular chicken sandwiches, tenders and other fast-growing categories. This investment supports key customers' growth plans through a change in Pilgrim's portfolio mix in Ellijay.
"As consumer demand shifts and our customers grow, we are investing to ensure our operations are positioned for the future," said Fabio Sandri, CEO of Pilgrim's Pride Corp. "Ellijay is a strong-performing facility with a talented team, and this expansion will allow us to optimize our portfolio, improve efficiency, and continue delivering high-quality products to our customers."
Partial transition of Chattanooga operations
As part of this strategic shift, Pilgrim's will close the aging harvesting portion of its Chattanooga operations. The company will continue to utilize Chattanooga's deboning infrastructure to support the expanded Ellijay operations, ensuring continuity and service for existing customers.
The closure of the harvesting operations in Chattanooga will affect 348 employees. The company is offering support to those whose jobs will be affected, including:
Eligibility for transfer to other Pilgrim's locations
Opportunities to apply for open roles at facilities across the United States
On-site support and transition resources
Continued engagement with local workforce partners and community stakeholders
"We are grateful for the dedication of our impacted Chattanooga team members and are committed to helping them through this transition with care, respect and as many opportunities as possible," said Sandri. "These decisions are among the most difficult we make because they affect people who have contributed so much to our success."
Pilgrim's stated that there will be no impact on the grower base in the region, and the company will maintain service and quality levels for all customers, including those purchasing bone-in products, through its broader network of facilities.
Pilgrim's Pride Corp. employs approximately 63,000 people and operates protein processing plants and prepared-foods facilities in 14 states, Puerto Rico, Mexico, the U.K., the Republic of Ireland and continental Europe.
Pilgrim’s stated that there will be no impact on the grower base in the region, and Pilgrim’s will maintain service and quality levels for all customers, including those purchasing bone-in products, through its broader network of facilities.
Pilgrim’s Pride employs approximately 63,000 people and operates protein processing plants and prepared-foods facilities in 14 states, Puerto Rico, Mexico, the U.K, the Republic of Ireland and continental Europe.
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