JBS USA opens ground beef production facility at Arizona plant

JBS USA, a wholly owned subsidiary of Brazilian meat processor JBS, has announced the opening of a ground beef production facility at the JBS beef processing plant in Tolleson, Arizona.

The new facility, which commenced production last week, features a distribution centre and 16,000ft² of advanced equipment and systems.

The JBS facility will produce a wide range of ground beef items under the brands Cedar River Farms Natural Beef and Showcase Premium Ground Beef.

JBS USA stated that customers will be offered a comprehensive product range that includes a variety of lean points, packaging formats and raw material specifications to ensure customer satisfaction.

JBS USA Beef president and COO Bill Rupp said the company’s ground beef operation was carefully designed to respond and expand quickly to its customers’ growing needs.

"We are excited to provide high-quality, ground beef to our retail, foodservice and distribution customers. Initial customer feedback is very positive," Rupp added.

Earlier this month, JBS USA announced its intent to complete the transaction to acquire certain US operations of XL Foods, including beef packing plants in Omaha, Nebraska and Nampa, Idaho.

JBS and XL Foods entered into an agreement on 17 October 2012.

JBS USA is a leading processor of animal protein, beef, pork and lamb in the US and Canada and a leading processor of beef and lamb in Australia.

It processes, prepares, packages and delivers further-processed and value-added beef and pork products to customers in more than 60 countries on five continents.

JBS is involved in meat production, processing beef, pork, lamb and poultry in addition to leather and other animal by-products.

In South America, the company conducts its operations through 120 beef processing, canning, distribution and other facilities, including 58 processing facilities in Brazil, five processing plants in Argentina, two processing plants in Paraguay, one processing plant in Uruguay, and 12 distribution centres and five feed lots in Brazil.