JBS begins construction of a $135 million sausage plant in Perry, Iowa

By Jim Wyckoff The project, which began on October 14, will occupy approximately 110 acres in southeast Perry and is expected to start operations in fall 2026, according to the Iowa Capital Dispatch. The plant will initially employ about 250 workers in a single shift and will later expand to two shifts with around 500 employees. Once fully operational, the plant will have the capacity to process approximately 500,000 sows per year and produce over 130 million pounds of sausages annually. Part of the production from the Perry plant will supply JBS's facilities in Ankeny, Iowa, which were recently acquired and converted to produce bacon and cooked sausages. Together, both plants will expand JBS's network of value-added meat production and strengthen its presence in Iowa, where it already operates major plants in Council Bluffs, Marshalltown, and Ottumwa. The project received $12 million in tax incentives from the Iowa Economic Development Authority, which praised the initiative as ...