JBS Northern division livestock operations manager Scott Carswell has called time on his 21-year career with the company, planning to finish up some time in the next few weeks.

Mr Carswell has spent the past three years as livestock manager for JBS’s northern operations, responsible for the company’s enormous weekly slaughter cattle requirements, as well as feeder cattle supplying the JBS feedlot network.

Scott Carswell

He told Beef Central he has no immediate plans, but would have a break before considering future options.

The industry rumour-mill lit up yesterday with suggestions Mr Carswell would be departing – some incorrectly suggesting the move was not his own decision.

Mr Carswell succeeded Steve Groom in the northern livestock operations management role back in late 2020, having worked as assistant northern livestock manager prior to that. Prior to moving to Dinmore head office in 2019, he spent the previous four or five years as JBS’s feedlot livestock manager.

He originally operated as a buyer out of JBS’s Townsville operations where he worked for 12 years, before moving into managing feeder cattle procurement for the feedlot division. He also worked for Elders as a stock agent in the early part of his career, based out of centres including Toowoomba, Taroom and Cloncurry.

He has built a strong rapport with JBS livestock suppliers, ranging from corporates through to family-scale enterprises across northern and eastern Australia over the years.

His role is arguably the biggest livestock supply challenge in the Australian beef industry, heading a team that keeps JBS’s four Queensland processing plants, plus Riverina in NSW, supplied with slaughter stock, as well as sourcing feeder cattle for all the company’s five feedlots spread across Queensland and NSW. The past three years, particularly during the national herd rebuild process, have been tough going for all beef processors, from a procurement perspective.

JBS chief executive Brent Eastwood thanked Mr Carswell for his great contribution to the company, suggesting a recruitment process would get underway soon.

“We respect Scott’s decision and wish him the best for the future,” Mr Eastwood said. “We’re committed to a smooth transition and are confident in our team’s ability to continue the great work we do while the recruitment process is completed,” he said.