GREELEY, Colo. – JBS USA, a wholly owned subsidiary of JBS S.A., announced that William Van Solkema is president of JBS Canada effective immediately.

Before joining JBS, Van Solkema most recently served as a consultant for XL Fine Foods, the value-added processing business of XL Foods, Inc. JBS took over management of the Brooks, Alberta-based XL Foods plant that was at the center of the largest meat recall in Canadian history. Van Solkema also served as president of sales and operations for XL Foods from 2004 to 2009. His career in the beef industry includes senior management positions at the Cargill High River plant in Alberta and the Canada Packers plants in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and Calgary, Alberta.

“Willie brings more than 30 years of experience and direct knowledge of the Canadian beef business to JBS Canada,” said Bill Rupp, president and COO, JBS USA beef business unit. “I personally worked alongside Willie at the High River plant and have complete confidence in his ability to manage our operations at the Brooks facility in Alberta. He will prove to be an invaluable asset as we normalize operations at Brooks for both domestic and international markets and continue to explore our exclusive option to purchase additional XL properties in Canada and the US.”

JBS USA assumed management of the XL Lakeside facility in Brooks in October, and negotiated an exclusive option to purchase XL properties including the Lakeside beef packing plant; a beef packing plant in Calgary, Alta.; a feedlot in Brooks, Alta., and the adjacent farmland acreage; a beef packing plant in Omaha, Neb.; and a beef packing plant in Nampa, Idaho. JBS USA said the company continues to evaluate the opportunity to exercise the exclusive option.