JBS, one of the world’s largest meat producers and a major Montgomery County employer, plans to close its beef processing facility in Souderton by Aug. 14, writes Ariana Perez-Castells for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
A Modernization Push Amid a Tightening Cattle Market
The company said the decision is part of a broader effort to modernize its U.S. operations and improve long-term competitiveness. JBS also announced plans to close a facility in Memphis, while shifting production to other sites in its network.
The closures come amid a persistent national cattle shortage that has squeezed processors across the industry. JBS shut down a similar facility near Los Angeles late last year for related reasons.
One of Montco’s Largest Employers
The Souderton plant, located at 249 Allentown Road, has been operated by JBS since 2008 and has long been one of the county’s most significant industrial employers.
As of the end of 2025, JBS ranked as the 24th largest employer in Montgomery County, behind only the county and federal governments, the area’s largest school districts and healthcare systems, and major employers like Merck, SEI and Wawa.
A Contract Set to Expire as the Plant Closes
Roughly 1,500 workers at the facility are represented by United Food and Commercial Workers International Union Local 1776. The closure comes less than a year after JBS workers were among 26,000 employees who secured a new union contract.
The contract included improved wages and benefits, including sick-day accrual, expanded bereavement leave, and a pension plan. That contract is set to expire in August, the same month the company expects to shut down the Souderton operation.
Union Vows to Fight, Questions Remain for Sister Operations
Company officials said the decision was difficult and pledged to support affected workers with transparency and access to new opportunities.
JBS has been expanding operations in states including Texas, Georgia and Iowa as it increases focus on prepared foods and other growth areas.
“We are not giving up on this plant, and we are not giving up on these workers,” said Wendell Young IV, president of UFCW Local 1776. The union said it is working with elected officials and government agencies to explore ways to keep the plant open and preserve the jobs.
The closure also leaves open questions about two related Souderton-area operations: JBS’s MOPAC rendering facility and its JBS Carriers trucking operation on Souder Road, neither of which has had its future addressed by the company.
The End of a Local Era?
The planned shutdown would mark a major turning point for Souderton and Montgomery County’s long-standing meat-processing sector.
MOPAC traces its roots to an 1877 meatpacking business founded in Souderton by Abraham F. Moyer, a lineage that underscores how deep the region’s ties to the industry run.
To learn more about JBS’s Souderton plant and what’s next for its 1,700 employees, visit The Philadelphia Inquirer.
