JBS ended beef slaughter at Souderton on August 14; about 400 of 1,485 jobs stay
In June, JBS USA told Pennsylvania it would close its Souderton beef plant on August 14, 2026. Souderton is in Montgomery County, about 30 miles north of Philadelphia. The notice covered 1,485 employees. The company said it would also close the Empire Packing plant in Memphis, Tennessee, which has about 200 jobs.
In August the company changed course on Souderton. Beef harvesting and raw processing ended on August 14 as planned. The plant is now being converted into a value-added, case-ready packaging operation that will serve retail customers across the Northeast. JBS is investing $30 million over ten years and says roughly 400 jobs will be preserved. The net loss at the site is about 1,085 positions, not the 1,485 on the original notice.
| Facility | Location | Jobs | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Souderton beef plant (former MOPAC) | Souderton, PA (Montgomery County) | About 1,085 lost, about 400 retained | Slaughter ended Aug 14; conversion under way |
| Empire Packing | Memphis, TN | About 200 | Closure announced June 2026 |
The Souderton site includes facilities on Allentown Road and Souder Road. With slaughter operations ended, the working footprint on the property shrinks to the packaging plant.
These records are part of the week of September 5, 2026 file. That file holds 60 industrial and manufacturing closure records nationwide. Street addresses, sources, and the full weekly file are available to subscribers.
Records as of September 8, 2026. A brief is an edition of record: corrections are published forward, not by changing this page. If cited: Store Closure Watch (storeclosurewatch.com).