Pilgrim's Pride to invest $75M in Georgia poultry plant
Company shifts to higher-value boneless products
16 June 2026
1 minute read
By: Pilgrim's Pride Corp. will invest approximately $75 million to expand and modernise its poultry processing facility in Ellijay, Georgia, while closing the harvesting operations at its Chattanooga, Tennessee plant, the company announced.
The investment will increase harvesting and portioning capacity at the Ellijay facility and enable it to produce a broader range of boneless chicken products, including those used in chicken sandwiches and tenders.
"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 optimise our portfolio, improve efficiency, and continue delivering high-quality products to our customers."
The Chattanooga facility's deboning infrastructure will be retained to support Ellijay's expanded operations. The company said there will be no impact on growers in the region and that service to customers purchasing bone-in products will continue through its broader facility network.
The closure will affect 348 workers at the Chattanooga harvesting operations. Pilgrim's said affected employees will be eligible to transfer to other company locations or apply for open roles across the US, and that on-site transition support will be provided.
"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," Sandri said. "These decisions are among the most difficult we make because they affect people who have contributed so much to our success."
