MINONG, WIS. — Global meat snack company Jack Link’s recently announced Karl Diver as the plant manager of the new Perry, Ga., facility that is expected to open in mid-2025.

Diver, who brings more than a decade of experience in food manufacturing, will lead the ongoing construction and advance operational readiness of the Jack Link’s site.

“We are very excited for Karl to join the Jack Link’s team and take on this critical leadership role in our important new Georgia facility,” said Brandon Walters, Jack Link’s North America chief operating officer. “I am also happy to announce that Karl will formally move to the Perry area from Atlanta in the May 2024 timeframe once we are done putting Karl through a rigorous onboarding process in all our facilities and support centers to learn our business, processes and culture.”

When he makes the move to Perry later this spring, Diver will join plant engineer Robert Cortes as Jack Link’s first two on-site employees, officing at the construction site until the plant is complete.

Jack Link’s announced this project in 2022. The company said at that time it would invest $450 million to build the processing plant in Perry on a 120 acre-site.

Founded in 1985 in Minong, Wis., Jack Link’s operates multiple processing plants throughout the Midwest. The company also operates facilities in New Zealand, Brazil and Germany. The company’s brands include Jack Link’s, Lorissa’s Kitchen, Wild River, Golden Island, Matador, BiFi and Peperami.