CHATTANOOGA — Pilgrim's announced a $75 million investment on June 15, 2026, to expand and modernize its poultry facility in Ellijay, Georgia. Concurrently, the company will close the harvesting operations at its Chattanooga facility, affecting 348 employees.

This investment aims to increase harvesting and portioning capacity at the Ellijay facility. The expanded facility will produce a broader mix of higher-value boneless chicken products. Pilgrim's CEO Fabio Sandri said, "As consumer demand shifts and our customers grow, we are investing to ensure our operations are positioned for the future." Sandri said, "Ellijay is a strong-performing facility with a talented team, and this expansion will allow us to optimize our portfolio, improve efficiency, and continue delivering high-quality products to our customers."

The company will continue to utilize the Chattanooga facility's deboning infrastructure to support the expanded operations in Ellijay. Pilgrim's stated that the changes will not impact the region's grower base.

Affected employees will be eligible for transfer to other company locations. They will have opportunities to apply for open roles at company facilities across the U.S. The company will provide on-site support and transition resources for departing workers. The company will maintain engagement with local workforce partners and community stakeholders during the transition. Sandri stated, "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."

No independent assessment was available for this report.