GREELEY, Colo. – The largest meat-packing company in the nation, Brazilian-owned JBS, confirmed that it was crippled by a ransomware attack and forced to close many plants. The company supplied few details from its U.S. headquarters in Greeley. Scattered reports, some from employee unions, confirmed shifts were cancelled at beef, pork and chicken plants first in Utah, Texas, Wisconsin and Nebraska on Saturday and later in Iowa, Minnesota and Colorado A Canadian plant in Alberta also was idled.
JBS profile
JBS is the world’s largest meat processor. Its headquarters is in Sao Paulo Brazil. Its U.S. headquarters is in Greeley, Colorado. JBS is the Number One beef producer in the United States with 23% of the market. Its rival Tyson has 22%. JBS accounts for about a quarter of U.S. beef capacity and roughly a fifth of pork capacity. Worldwide JBS has 150 plants. Rancher Jose Batista Sobrinho founded the company in Brazil in 1953 as a slaughterhouse. The company bears Sobrinho’s initials. The company grew primarily through acquisitions, which in the United States included Swift & Company; Smithfield Foods; and Pilgrim Foods. There also were major acquisitions in Australia, Mexico and Europe.
JBS. The company bears initials of founder Jose Batista Sobrinho.
JBS U.S. facilities
Beef: Processing facilities, 9; value-added facilities.
Pork: Processing facilities, 5; value-added facilities, 5; feed mills, 4.
Chicken: Processing facilities, 26; further processing facilities, 4; feed mills, 27, rendering facilities, 5; pet food facilities, 4.