Iowa JBS plant closes down due to tornado damage
Marashalltown, Iowa, JBS pork plant shut down after EF 3 damage.
The JBS pork processing plant in Marshalltown, Iowa, was shut down Friday after a storm system blew through the area late afternoon on Thursday. The city of Marshalltown declared a state of emergency on Thursday evening following the EF 3 tornado with peak winds of 144 mph, according to the National Weather Service.
“The JBS USA Marshalltown facility suffered damage to its distribution center, but the plant remains operational,” JBS company spokesman Cameron Bruett said in an email statement to Feedstuffs.
The plant was closed on Friday to assess the damage and allow its team members time to tend to their families and personal concerns.
Bruett continued, “Our foremost concern is for our team members and the community of Marshalltown. Fortunately, there have been no reported injuries to our team members who were at the facility when the storm hit. We continue to assess the situation and will work alongside the Marshalltown community to get through this difficult time.”
The plant runs an estimated 20,000 hogs per day, and employs more than 2,200 people. Reports indicated that those animals scheduled for processing would likely be rerouted to other plants.
JBS is the largest employer in the city.
The same night in Pella, Iowa, the Vermeer Manufacturing plant also sustained substantial damage from a tornado.
JBS, the meat-packing plant that’s the largest employer in the city, sustained damage in its distribution center area, including overturned semi trailers and rail cars. No injuries reported. #iawx @marshalltowntr pic.twitter.com/nQj3DCzRjs
— Emily Blobaum (@emilyblobaum) July 20, 2018
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