SÃO PAULO — JBS S.A. announced the opening of two value-added food facilities on Oct. 27 under the company’s subsidiary Seara Alimentos Ltda. The plants are located in an industrial complex in Rolândia, Brazil.

“Delivering the expansion of this complex is very significant for the businesses of JBS and Seara in Brazil and around the world,” said Gilberto Tomazoni, global chief executive officer of JBS. “Not only because it has become one of the most modern production plants in the country, but because it represents another step in the successful long-term investment strategy in our multi-protein platform, very focused on high-value-added foods. Whatever the product, we want to offer innovation and quality to win consumer preference.”

The two facilities are part of JBS’s investment of 8 billion reais ($1.6 billion) announced in 2019.

In March 2023 the first of the two plants, the breaded chicken facility, began operating. At the same time, Seara launched a new line of breaded chicken, which contributed to the 2.7% growth of the breaded sector compared to last year, JBS said.

Seara currently holds more than 30% of the breaded chicken market share. The company also looks to grow its sausage market share with the recent investment.

The sausage facility stretches 248,000 square feet.

“We will expand our sausage production capacity, highlighting the differences already present in our products, which are innovation, quality and flavor,” said João Campos, CEO of Seara. “In the long term, we will increase our portfolio and challenge the market to grow with us in this segment as well, as we are already doing with chicken breading.”

With the new buildings, Seara is adding 700 employees, bringing its total workforce at the industrial complex to 4,500. JBS noted that the site has the capacity for seven more breaded chicken lines and three sausage lines, which could eventually increase its workforce to 6,000 employees.