After investing $77 million in its Dinmore meat processing plant in Ipswich, JBS Australia says it’s recruiting 500 people to operate the ‘second shift’ the upgraded plant has enabled.
According to JBS, the Dinmore facility is the largest beef processing plant in the southern hemisphere and the largest employer in Ipswich.
The $77 million project was across technology and capital works to improve safety and increase capacity and productivity. The company now plans to start the second shift in the first half of 2024 and will need 500 people to fill the roles.
Dinmore currently employs just over 1300 people.
The works included:
- Expansion of the plant’s chiller capacity;
- installation of an automated marshalling rail system, the first of its kind in the world;
- improved configuration to handle higher processing volumes; and
- installation of a state-of-the-art trim facility enabling JBS to deliver premium product, consistency, reliability, and food safety for trim customers at higher levels of accuracy and capacity.
The Dinmore plant will implement a ‘second shift’ that will commence in the first half of 2024 as JBS gradually increases daily processing levels. The two shifts will be morning and afternoon. This new set-up will take the total number of people employed at the site to over 1800.
JBS Australia CEO Brent Eastwood said the company was committed to the Dinmore and Ipswich regions.
“We encourage anyone in the local Ipswich area and surrounding communities to apply for vacant roles and join the JBS family.
“A core pillar of our career opportunities is building pathways for our people to take on new responsibilities and progress within the company,” Eastwood said.
Current vacant roles available at the Dinmore facility range from fitters, electricians, maintenance supervisors, laboratory technicians, boners, slicers, butchers, and labourers.
Eastwood said while the company was committed to employing people from the area, ongoing labour shortages mean some roles may be filled through the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme.
“Our JBS Dinmore plant is a celebration of diversity and culture, our workforce represents 47 nationalities. Together, our Dinmore team works hard to contribute to Australia’s food security and deliver locally produced Aussie beef to dinner tables around the world,” said Eastwood.
It’s the third major investment this year, with $11.1 million earmarked for two bioenergy systems at its Scone and Toowoomba plants, and $20 million to upgrade its Riverlea piggery and processing facilities
The local federal member, Shayne Newmann, said he had a strong affinity with Dinmore because it was his first job.
“JBS has a track record of working with this community and the federal government to deliver a dynamic, inclusive labour market while creating employment opportunities for more people in the Ipswich region.
“In addition to an expansion in the workforce, the increased capacity at JBS will provide opportunities for greater innovation and local investment right here at Dinmore,” Newmann said.
The state member, Lance McCallum, said the investment meant more local jobs.
“Over 500 new jobs are a huge boost to both our community and economy, and builds on JBS’s legacy of being a large, long standing local employer. They are to be congratulated for continuing to invest in Ipswich and Queensland,” McCallum said.
