JBS Meat Plant To Shut Down In Montco, Around 1,700 Jobs Lost

SOUDERTON, PA — One of Montgomery County's largest employers, the meat processing company JBS, will shut down, they announced, leaving nearly 1,500 employees out of work.

The Souderton plant, located on 249 Allentown Road and 741 Souder Road, will shut down for good on Aug. 14.

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While JBS pointed to "targeted changes to strengthen operations for the future," the closure is the latest victim of the global cattle shortage.

Experts have pointed to a wide range of reasons for the shortage, as wide ranging as the impacts of drought, inflation, and the screwworm outbreaks along the border impacting the flow of trade with Mexico.

For the Montgomery County area, it's a notable blow to the local economy. JBS was the 24th largest employer in the county at the end of 2025, according to county statistics, trailing only the county and federal governments, the largest school districts and healthcare networks, and major employers like Merck, SEI, and Wawa.

JBS also announced the closure of a facility in Memphis, Tennessee.

Employees who were let go can apply to other jobs at JBS, the company said.

“We are deeply grateful to the team members at these facilities for their efforts and contributions over many years," CEO Wesley Batista Filho said. "Our focus right now is on supporting them with transparency, respect, and access to new opportunities wherever possible."

Skyrocketing beef prices in recent months have seen Americans increasingly turn to alternative protein sources like turkey, legumes like lentils and chickpeas, chicken, and soy.

JBS is the world's largest meatpacking company, slaughtering millions of animals per day.