DOUGLAS, Wyo. – Mountain States Lamb Cooperative announced plans to acquire a lamb processing facility and related assets from JBS USA, a unit of São Paulo, Brazil-based JBS SA. Completion of the deal depends on a successful equity drive and bank financing.
“This pending acquisition represents a major opportunity for Mountain States to add harvest capabilities, an integral piece of the value chain, to our already vertically integrated business model,” Brad Boner, vice chairman of Mountain States, said in a statement. “Our members will now control all stages of the production of their lamb: raising, harvesting, processing, packaging, marketing and distribution.”
Mountain States Lamb Cooperative is a producer-owned marketing cooperative with members in 15 states. The co-op began marketing lamb in 2003, and recently surpassed 3 million lambs marketed. The co-op, based in Douglas, Wyo., includes Mountain States Rosen meat marketing company with fabrication, distribution and marketing assets in Greeley, Colo., and Bronx, NY.
“JBS has enjoyed a long-standing partnership with Mountain States and believes today’s announcement will benefit both parties, notably the more than 120 JBS team members who will have the opportunity to continue their careers in the US lamb industry,” Andre Nogueira, CEO, JBS USA, said in a statement. “As a world leader in fresh lamb production with significant assets in Australia, lamb will remain a strategic part of the JBS global business model.”
