Latest news with #Ankeny
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
JBS funnels investment into new US meat plant
Brazilian meat giant JBS has revealed another US plant investment, taking this year's total outlay to more than $800m. JBS is acquiring a facility in Ankeny, Iowa, previously owned by the retail chain Hy-Vee, and plans to spend $100m to purchase the site and kit it out for the production of bacon and sausage. The 186,000 square-foot factory will be the 'largest ready-to-eat bacon and ready-to-eat sausage plant in the company's US portfolio', the listed business said in a statement late yesterday (13 August). Post investment and completion of upgrading, JBS added that around 400 jobs will be created at the site once fully operational, which is expected by mid-2026. The company will seek to hire former Hy-Vee workers who were employed at the plant, it said, without providing any numbers. 'Today's announcement aligns with our long-term strategy of offering more value-added and prepared-foods products to meet the needs of our customers and consumers,' Wesley Batista Filho, the CEO of JBS's US division, said. 'We are proud to grow our operations in Iowa, where we already operate four production facilities, with another expected to break ground later this year.' JBS revealed last month a $400m investment by its US-based subsidiary Pilgrim's Pride for a new prepared-foods facility in Walker County, Georgia. Again in Iowa, the meat major announced a $135m project in May for a new sausage plant to be run by its US business unit, JBS USA. Two beef facilities were the recipients of a planned $200m investment, unveiled in February, in the US states of Texas and Colorado. 'This facility in Ankeny will not only expand our prepared-foods business in the US, it will also benefit from synergies and strategic supply of product from our other plants in the region,' Rick Foster, head of prepared foods at the US division, added yesterday. JBS also announced its second-quarter results alongside the latest Iowa plant investment. Revenue climbed 8.9% to $20.9bn from the same quarter a year earlier. Adjusted EBITDA fell 7.4% to $1.8bn and the margin dropped 140 basis points to 8.4% on an IFRS basis. Net income surged more than 60% to $528m. JBS completed its additional listing on the New York Stock Exchange in June, whereby it is now listed in both the US and Brazil. "JBS funnels investment into new US meat plant" was originally created and published by Just Food, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
JBS USA Enters Agreement to Acquire and Expand Production Facility in Ankeny, Iowa
Company to Invest $100 Million to Purchase and Enhance Prepared Foods Production GREELEY, Colo., Aug. 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- JBS USA, one of the world's leading food companies, today announced it has reached an agreement to purchase a production facility in Ankeny, Iowa, with plans to build out the largest ready-to-eat bacon and ready-to-eat sausage plant in the company's U.S. portfolio. The facility was previously owned and operated by Hy-Vee. The 186,000 square-foot facility will be transformed to produce fully cooked bacon and sausage products. The location previously produced other types of food for Hy-Vee stores. Due to the type of work involved, JBS is looking to hire former employees who previously worked at the facility for the retailer. After the initial capital investments and construction are complete, the plant is expected to be operational by mid-2026 and to create approximately 400 jobs when all phases of the project are finished. 'Today's announcement aligns with our long-term strategy of offering more value-added and prepared foods products to meet the needs of our customers and consumers,' said Wesley Batista Filho, JBS USA Chief Executive Officer. 'We are proud to grow our operations in Iowa, where we already operate four production facilities, with another expected to break ground later this year.' In May, the company announced its intention to build a state-of-the-art fresh sausage production facility in Perry, Iowa. JBS also operates plants in Council Bluffs, Marshalltown and Ottumwa. 'This facility in Ankeny will not only expand our prepared foods business in the U.S., it will also benefit from synergies and strategic supply of product from our other plants in the region,' said Rick Foster, Head of JBS USA Prepared Foods. In 2021, JBS USA opened a fully cooked bacon facility in Moberly, Mo., which has already been through an expansion. In Perry, the fresh sausage plant will provide raw material to this new facility, allowing the company to produce fully cooked sausage items in addition to bacon, supporting ongoing efforts to meet increasing customer demand for these types of products. With a focus on supporting rural America and investing in its team members, JBS USA will offer its signature Hometown Strong and Better Futures programs in Ankeny. Through Hometown Strong, the company is investing significantly in rural communities across the U.S. and Canada, supporting infrastructure, childcare, housing, schools and more. The Better Futures program provides tuition-free community college for team members and their children. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions. About JBS USAJBS USA is a leading global food company providing diversified, high-quality products to customers in approximately 100 countries on six continents. Headquartered in Greeley, Colorado, the company produces meat and poultry products, a portfolio of recognized brands and innovative premium foods. JBS USA is also a majority shareholder of Pilgrim's, the largest poultry producer in the world. Visit to learn more. For more information about JBS USA and eventual employment opportunities in Ankeny, visit Media Contact:Nikki RichardsonJBS USA Communications in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Rain totals near 2 inches in the Des Moines metro. See how much we got last night.
Strong storms swept across western Iowa into the Des Moines metro from Monday, July 7, to early Tuesday, July 8, leaving some areas of the state with more than an inch of rain. The storms moved into northwestern Iowa around 7 p.m. Monday and moved southeast overnight. They were capable of producing small hail and wind gusts up to 60 mph. Des Moines saw 0.87 inches of rain over the capital from midnight to 8 a.m. Tuesday, according to the Iowa Environmental Mesonet. Just north of Des Moines, Ankeny saw almost 2 inches of rain in the same timeframe. The showers in the metro were accompanied by thunder, lightning and high winds. Farther north, Ames saw just 0.12 inches of rain. Here are the towns in Iowa that had the most rainfall from 8 a.m. Monday, July 7, to 8 a.m. Tuesday, July 8, according to the Iowa Environmental Mesonet. Ankeny: 1.97 inches Osceola: 1.24 inches Atlantic: 1.13 inches Kate Kealey is a general assignment reporter for the Register. Reach her at kkealey@ or follow her on Twitter at @Kkealey17. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: How much rain did we get last night? See Iowa's highest rain totals
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Yahoo
Death investigation underway in West Des Moines after body found in vehicle
WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — Police in West Des Moines are investigating a death after a body was discovered in the parking lot of the Barnes & Noble store Friday morning. Sgt. Dan Wade of the West Des Moines Police Department said officers responded to 4550 University Avenue around 9:00 a.m. after receiving a call about a body in a vehicle. When officers arrived, they found an adult woman deceased in a car. Warren County barn fire claims life of 81-year-old man The cause of death is being investigated. The woman's name has not been released. Sgt. Wade said there's no indication of any threat to the public related to this incident. He also said it doesn't appear there is any indication of criminal activity linked to the death. Death investigation underway in West Des Moines after body found in vehicle Former Ankeny teacher sentenced to prison for sexually exploiting student Iowa-based ice cream sandwich now available at Costco locations across Midwest CIWW enacts ban on lawn watering as nitrate levels climb Brad Edwards joining WHO 13 as a contributor on July 1st Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
FTC commissioner talks consolidation, right to repair with Iowa farmers
Federal Trade Commissioner Alvaro Bedoya, right, speaks with Iowa Farmers Union President Aaron Lehman, center, and Josh Manske, left, at an event with IFU members in Ankeny June 7, 2025. (Photo by Cami Koons/Iowa Capital Dispatch) ANKENY — Iowa Farmers Union members met Saturday with U.S. Federal Trade Commissioner Alvaro Bedoya and explained how consolidation in the agriculture industry has crippled their farming operations and rural communities. Bedoya, who visited with Iowa farmers three years prior, said it was important to come back to the places where 'the scope of the problems that people are facing just hits you in the face.' 'The key question is: what is the undone work,' Bedoya said to the group gathered in a barn at Griffieon Farms outside of Ankeny. Bedoya is visiting with groups around the country while he is involved in a lawsuit against the Trump administration, which fired him from the FTC in March. During his time at FTC, Bedoya and his team sued over the business merger between grocery giants Kroger and Albertsons, sued pesticide companies for alleged anticompetitive practices and sued John Deere for the right to repair equipment. After listening to farmers share their stories, Bedoya said 'the scope of the problem' and the 'just how many issues' are facing Iowa farmers is what stood out to him. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Sean Dengler, a former farmer in Tama County, said the 'monopolization' across the machinery and agricultural sector led him to give it up and end five generations of Dengler farming tradition. Last harvest season, an error code on his combine led to a several-days harvest delay waiting for a licensed technician to come out to the farm, diagnose and come back to repair the rig. 'Giving farmers the ability to fix the equipment they bought is their right,' Dengler said. Part of the problem, for repairs and for nearly every aspect related to farming, is that repair shops, dealers, grain elevators, meat lockers and other commodities are fewer and further between. Farmers gave countless examples Saturday of how this spread has hurt not just their ag operations, but their rural communities as well. Josh Manske, an IFU board member and farmer, said farmers no longer shop around for the best fertilizer price, instead they shop 'for transportation.' 'The price is the same no matter where you go,' Manske said, noting the problems with a lack of competition. LaVon Griffieon said she sees the same issue spread to grocery stores across the state. Living where she does just outside of Ankeny, Griffieon said she has access to multiple stores within a 5-10 minute drive, but friends of hers in rural counties must drive in excess of 20 minutes to the closest grocery store, and close to an hour to find a store with organic products. 'It seems like feast or famine,' Griffieon said. Griffieon said the consolidation in the grocery industry makes the margins for an independent grocer are 'even worse than farming.' Jerry Rosman, a farmer and truck driver, said he sees the same issue in the field, but also on the highway. 'The dynamics of what it is might be a little different, but it's just — as things get tighter at the top, at the bottom they just start disappearing,' Rosman said. 'Pull through a little town and you can just see the decline.' Mike Carberry, a board member for Iowa Farmers Union, said agriculture needs the FTC's work 'breaking up the monopolies' of the industry that, he said, have turned Iowa into an 'extractive state.' Bedoya, who listened intently to the farmers, said while he's committed to bringing this type of legal action forward, stopping a merger, as the FTC did with the Kroger and Albertsons case, takes a massive amount of time, people and money. 'The amount of time it takes to stop a merger that has not yet happened is massive,' Bedoya said. 'To undo a merger that has already happened is gargantuan — it is something that kind of happens once in a legal generation.' Bedoya said a similar issue of vertical integration in the pharmaceutical industry has been blocked by legislative efforts in several states. Lawmakers in Iowa passed a bill that would put restrictions on pharmacy benefit managers to prevent them from using specific pharmacies to fill prescriptions. The bill has yet to be signed by Gov. Kim Reynolds. Bedoya, speaking on similar legislation passed in Arkansas, said it 'opened up' an avenue for going after vertical integration, that could be an option to intervene in some of the consolidation issues in agriculture. 'This is going to require both parties, and it's going to require every level of government or every branch, not just, federal prosecutors, but state prosecutors, state legislators, and also federal legislators if they get their act together and pass some bills,' Bedoya said. Bedoya and the other Democratic commissioner, Rebecca Kelly Slaughter, at the FTC were fired by President Donald Trump, but Bedoya alleges the firing was illegal and is fighting in court to stay at FTC. Bedoya said while he might be locked out of the FTC system and without access to his files, he's still doing the work of a commissioner and speaking with rideshare workers, pharmacists, farmers and more to learn about the issues they are facing. 'But no matter what, I will continue doing this work, whether it's at FTC or in a nonprofit,' Bedoya said. In his view, the FTC has started to take up cases that trend more towards political battles, than protecting American consumers. 'The FTC is not for fighting your political fights,' Bedoya said. 'It's for suing the John Deeres of the world. It's for suing the Cortevas and Syngentas of the world that are screwing over farmers and that are making people's lives harder. It's not for political warfare.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
