GREELEY, Colo., June  12, 2026  (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pilgrim&#39;s today announced a strategic investment to expand and modernize its Ellijay, Georgia poultry facility, strengthening the company&#39;s ability to meet evolving

Pilgrim's Announces Investment in Ellijay, Georgia to Strengthen Operations and Align With Growing Consumer Demand

Pilgrim's Pride to Invest $75M in Ellijay Expansion, Chattanooga Transition

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    <h3>Information</h3>
    <p>GREELEY, Colo., June  12, 2026  (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pilgrim&amp;#39;s today announced a strategic investment to expand and modernize its Ellijay, Georgia poultry facility, strengthening the company&amp;#39;s ability to meet evolving</p>
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  <section data-block="ai-summary-paragraph">
    <h3>AI Summary</h3>
    <p>Pilgrim&#039;s Pride announced a $75 million investment to expand its Ellijay, Georgia poultry facility, boosting harvesting and portioning capacity for a broader boneless product mix. The move includes a partial closure of Chattanooga harvesting operations, with deboning infrastructure retained to support Ellijay and continuity for customers. The shift aims to modernize operations, align with consumer trends, and strengthen long-term supply-chain resilience, though near-term workforce transitions weigh on sentiment.</p>
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    <h3>Key Points</h3>
    <ul><li>Pilgrim&#039;s Pride to invest about $75 million to expand Ellijay, GA facility.</li><li>Ellijay upgrade increases harvesting/portioning capacity and boneless product mix.</li><li>Chattanooga harvesting operations will close; deboning remains to support Ellijay.</li><li>348 Chattanooga workers affected; transfers and transition resources offered.</li></ul>
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  <section data-block="companies-mentioned">
    <h3>Companies Mentioned</h3>
    <ul><li><strong>Pilgrim&#039;s Pride Corporation (PPC)</strong>: Announces $75M Ellijay expansion and Chattanooga harvesting closure; potential margin and mix impacts; workforce transitions.</li></ul>
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  <section data-block="category">
    <h3>Corporate Developments</h3>
    <p>Category: Corporate Developments. Fits as a strategic capex and portfolio-shift announcement with workforce implications affecting near-term cost and long-term profitability.</p>
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  <section data-block="market-moving">
    <h3>Market-Moving</h3>
    <ul><li>Ellijay capex signals capacity expansion and potential margin improvement.</li><li>Chattanooga harvesting closure introduces near-term cost and workforce disruption.</li><li>Higher-value boneless product mix may lift profitability and cash flow.</li><li>Strategic alignment with customer growth supports longer-term share gain.</li></ul>
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  <section data-block="key-facts">
    <h3>Key Facts</h3>
    <ul><li>Approximately $75 million investment.</li><li>Expansion at Ellijay, Georgia poultry facility.</li><li>Increase harvesting and portioning capacity; broader boneless product mix.</li><li>Partial transition: close aging Chattanooga harvesting operations.</li><li>Deboning infrastructure to support Ellijay expansion.</li><li>348 employees affected at Chattanooga; transfers and support offered.</li><li>Date of release: June 12, 2026; location: Greeley, Colorado.</li><li>Pilgrim&#039;s Pride employs about 63,000 people; operates in 14 states + PR, Mexico, UK, Ireland, Europe.</li></ul>
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  <section data-block="trading-thesis">
    <h3>Trading Thesis</h3>
    <p>Bulish for PPC over 12–24 months as capacity/mix improvements bolster margins and growth potential.</p>
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<link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://www.globenewswire.com/styles/gnw_nitf.css"></link><p align="left">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.</p>  <p align="left">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.</p>  <p align="left">"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<strong>.</strong> "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."</p>  <p align="left"><strong>Partial Transition of Chattanooga Operations</strong></p>  <p align="left">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.</p>  <p align="left">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.</p>  <p align="left"><strong>Support for Team Members</strong></p>  <p align="left">Pilgrim's is committed to supporting the 348 team members affected by the Chattanooga harvesting operations closure. The company will provide:</p>  <ul type="disc"><li style="margin-bottom:8pt;">Eligibility for transfer to other Pilgrim's locations</li><li style="margin-bottom:8pt;">Opportunities to apply for open roles at facilities across the United States</li><li style="margin-bottom:8pt;">On-site support and transition resources</li><li style="margin-bottom:8pt;">Continued engagement with local workforce partners and community stakeholders<br></br><br></br></li></ul>  <p align="left">"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.<strong> "</strong>These decisions are among the most difficult we make because they affect people who have contributed so much to our success."</p>  <p align="left"><strong>Positioning for the Future</strong></p>  <p align="left">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.</p>  <p align="left"><strong>About Pilgrim's Pride</strong></p>  <p align="left">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 <u><a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=BuXKaXNFRJbKMMYeaWETYtEBxAMzmX9yvJmCygTKGb_cMNdJFKHMD2c2OzitXReSX0rvwWp-XYAbqtPiIrHCaACdWmaS65f47XpAvbEEp2g=" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.pilgrims.com</a></u>.</p>  <p align="left"><br></br><strong>Media Contact</strong><br></br>Nikki Richardson<br></br>Corporate Communications<br></br><a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=QdmDBvK2gR3KdEewQWCv1zVK6MNyDo3QwIxvcwA5clay16BM-Hk_7dMu72tSQphs5aKExl5MAOumoTdnLOKkswYTKnzjcghrEqhI9RfqqdrsESsnroyK8D6gddwc8YTR" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">nikki.richardson@jbssa.com</a></p> <img alt="" class="__GNW8366DE3E__IMG" src="https://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/ti?nf=OTc0NjE4NCM3NjU5MzU5IzIwMDQ0MTU="></img> <br></br><img alt="" src="https://ml.globenewswire.com/media/NjY2ZmM0ODctZjc2Yi00YWE4LTliMTEtMjFiYzFjN2I1MmIyLTEwMTU5ODgtMjAyNi0wNi0xMi1lbg==/tiny/Pilgrim-s-Pride-Corporation.png" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade"></img><p><a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b84ed929-ae25-4d9e-a3ab-516587c2ef23"><img src="https://ml.globenewswire.com/media/b84ed929-ae25-4d9e-a3ab-516587c2ef23/small/pilgrimslogocluster-globe-jpg.jpg" border="0" width="150" height="150" alt="Primary Logo"></img></a></p>

Pilgrim's Pride announced a $75 million investment to expand its Ellijay, Georgia poultry facility, boosting harvesting and portioning capacity for a broader boneless product mix. The move includes a partial closure of Chattanooga harvesting operations, with deboning infrastructure retained to support Ellijay and continuity for customers. The shift aims to modernize operations, align with consumer trends, and strengthen long-term supply-chain resilience, though near-term workforce transitions weigh on sentiment.

Pilgrim's Announces Investment in Ellijay, Georgia to Strengthen Operations and Align With Growing Consumer Demand

AI Summary

Sentiment Rationale

Trading Thesis

Market-Moving

Key Facts

Companies Mentioned

Corporate Developments

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