GREELEY, Colo., June 12, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pilgrim's today announced a strategic investment to expand and modernize its Ellijay, Georgia poultry facility, strengthening the company's ability to meet evolving consumer preferences, support key customer growth, and enhance long-term operational excellence.
The approximately $75 million investment will increase harvesting and portioning capacity in Ellijay 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- "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, Tennessee operations. The company will continue to utilize Chattanooga's deboning infrastructure to support nearby Ellijay's expanded operations, ensuring continuity and service for existing customers.
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.
Support for Team Members
Pilgrim's is committed to supporting the 348 team members affected by the Chattanooga harvesting operations closure. The company will provide:
- 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."
Positioning for the Future
The Ellijay investment is part of Pilgrim's broader strategy to modernize its operations, enhance product mix, and build a more resilient supply chain. By expanding capacity in a high-performing facility and aligning production with long-term consumer trends, Pilgrim's is strengthening its ability to serve customers and compete in a dynamic marketplace.
About Pilgrim's Pride
Pilgrim's 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. The Company's primary distribution is through retailers and foodservice distributors. For more information, please visit www.pilgrims.com
Media Contact
Nikki Richardson
Corporate Communications
nikki.richardson@jbssa.com
