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JBS Approves Agreement with Viva to Create JBS Viva, the World’s Largest Leather Processor, with 31 Factories, Over 11,000 Employees in Six Countries, and Capacity Exceeding 20 Million Units Annually. Each Side Will Hold 50%, and CADE Still Needs to Approve the Operation
JBS, founded by brothers Joesley and Wesley Batista, and leather processor Viva have signed an agreement to create the world’s largest leather processing company. Named JBS Viva, the firm will have 31 factories, over 11,000 employees, and the capacity to process more than 20 million leather units annually.
The information was published by the ND Mais portal on September 17, 2026, based on the material fact disclosed by JBS to the market.
Deal Announced in November 2025 Was Approved by JBS Board
The agreement between JBS and Viva was announced in November 2025. This week, the operation received approval from JBS’s Board of Directors.
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The decision was communicated to the market via a material fact, formalizing the progress of the negotiation.
JBS Viva Will Have 31 Factories and Over 11,000 Employees
The new company will comprise 31 factories and over 11,000 employees.
The projected processing capacity is over 20 million leather units per year, establishing JBS Viva as the largest in the industry worldwide.
Global Leather Market Generates $476 Billion Annually
Photo: Disclosure/JBS
The operation expands the Batista brothers’ business in a market that generates around $476 billion annually worldwide, according to consultancy Mordor Intelligence.
According to the same consultancy, the sector grows up to 7% per year.
JBS and Viva stakeholders will each hold 50% of the new company
Under the agreement, JBS will hold 50% of the shares in JBS Viva, a stake obtained through the contribution of shares from its subsidiary JBS Couros.
The remaining 50% will be held by Viva stakeholders, specifically Vanz Holding and Viposa Participações.
Leadership of JBS Viva will be shared among partners
JBS Viva’s Board of Directors will feature equal representation between JBS and the Viva stakeholders. JBS will appoint the board chairman and the financial director.
Viva’s stakeholders will select the CEO and the operations director for the new company.
JBS will supply raw leather and purchase scraps for gelatin and collagen
JBS Viva will be responsible for processing hides and marketing leather.
JBS will supply raw leather to the new company and will subsequently purchase scraps and trimmings that remain from processing for use in the gelatin, collagen, and related products industries.
Cactus plant in Texas is excluded from the deal
Not all assets from the two companies are included in the operation. Excluded are collagen and gelatin activities and assets, as well as some leather operations.
Among the exclusions are assets, inventories, and activities from the JBS plant in Cactus, Texas, in the United States, and assets from JBS’s leather division in Germany, Uruguay, and Mexico. Additionally, assets from Viva that are currently unused in leather operations will also be excluded.
Brazil exports $1.2 billion in leather annually
Brazil sees around $1.2 billion in leather exports each year. The country trails Italy, which earns approximately $2.7 billion in international trade of the product.
Brazilian leather reaches about 80 countries, and the domestic supply chain includes at least 240 tanning and finishing companies.
Upholstered furniture accounts for 40% of leather in the Brazilian market
In the domestic market, approximately 40% of leather goes into the production of upholstered furniture. The automotive sector accounts for about 36% of the total.
Footwear and other products, such as bags and belts, make up approximately 19% of the consumption.
Smooth wire and fewer fire marks increase leather yield
The leather supply chain has been adopting changes to better utilize the raw material. One of these is the replacement of barbed wire fences with smooth wire, which reduces scars on the animals’ skin, as well as a decrease in the use of fire branding.
Technologies applied to processing also help to increase the utilization and value of leather.
Viva was born from the merger between Santa Catarina’s Viposa and Paraná’s Vancouros
Viva is the result of a merger between Viposa from Santa Catarina and Vancouros from Paraná. The negotiation lasted five years and was concluded in 2024, after approval from Brazil’s antitrust regulator.
The company emerged with the capacity to process seven million leather units per year and revenue of R$ 3.1 billion (about US$ 610 million).
JBS Couros was established in 2009 and launched around 2,000 products
JBS Couros was established in August 2009 to consolidate the group’s operations in this market. The company mainly uses bovine leather sourced from JBS’s own slaughtering operations.
Since its inception, the division has launched around 2,000 products, primarily aimed at fashion and lifestyle. JBS Couros also developed the concept KindLeather, which considers the traceability of raw materials, the repurposing of waste, and the use of chemicals deemed more sustainable.
The establishment of JBS Viva depends on approval from Brazil’s antitrust regulator
The completion of the transaction still depends on the approval from Brazil’s antitrust regulator (Conselho Administrativo de Defesa Econômica) and compliance with the conditions specified in the agreement.
With the approval, JBS Viva will operate in six countries: Brazil, Italy, Uruguay, Argentina, Mexico, and Vietnam.
