Tyson Foods

Tyson Foods is the world's second-largest processor and marketer of chicken, beef, and pork, after JBS S.A. Tyson Foods was founded in 1935 by John W. Tyson in Springdale, Arkansas. As of 2021, Tyson Foods has 137,000 employees.

Tyson Foods began in 1935 after John W. Tyson moved to Springdale, Arkansas looking for better work opportunities. He began raising chickens and selling them to surrounding markets in the Midwest, leading to the formation of Tyson Foods. Tyson Foods kept growing over the next decade, setting up new poultry businesses in Cincinnati, Ohio; Cleveland, Ohio; and Detroit, Michigan. A chick shortage for Tyson Foods led to the creation of the company's own hatcheries and chicken feed businesses.

During World War II, the United States put wartime rations on beef and began to subsidize poultry production. These subsidies were good for Tyson Foods and led to the company securing its position as a dominant poultry producer and processing company in the United States. Tyson Foods used its profits from this time to invest in vertical integration, which enabled it to gain control over the majority of business needs, from feeding and breeding the chickens to distributing the chickens to the market.

In the post-World War II period, the poultry industry was under a lot of pressure from the post-war economy and from a chicken disease outbreak. Tyson Foods began buying up surrounding poultry producers to mitigate the risk of bankruptcy and being bought out by larger companies. In 1957, Tyson Foods officially controlled each step of its operations after the completion of its first chicken processing plant in Springdale, Arkansas.

In April 1963, Tyson Foods went public, selling 100,000 shares at a starting price of $10.50. A few years later in 1967, the founder and his wife died after their car was struck by a train. After his death, his son, Donald J. Tyson, took over the company and successfully grew it over the next thirty years to become one of the leading producers of meat in the world.

1982 was an important year for Tyson Foods's growth. The company was put on the Fortune 500 list for the first time and signed major contracts with McDonald's to supply them with chicken nuggets. In 2000, CEO Donald Tyson was replaced by his son, John H. Tyson. After Tyson Foods's acquisition of Iowa Beef Producers the following year, the company became the world's largest marketer and processor of chicken, pork, and beef at the time. In 2006, CEO John H. Tyson resigned and was replaced by Richard Bond. The end of that fiscal year saw losses in excess of $196 million for Tyson Foods.

Donnie King took over as CEO in June 2021, replacing Dean Banks, who had only held the position since October 2020.

Tyson Foods factories are primarily located in the Midwest and Southern regions of the United States.

Tyson Foods has many different brands under its name.

• Tyson
• Jimmy Dean
• Hillshire Farm
• Hillshire Snacking
• Ball Park
• Raised & Rooted
• Aidells
• State Fair
• Nature Raised Farms
• Sara Lee
• Wright Brand
• Bosco's
• Gallo Salame
• Bonici
• The Bruss Company
• Chairman's Reserve
• IBP Trusted Excellence
• Lady Aster
• Mexican Original
• Open Prairie Natural Meats
• Star Ranch Angus
• Wunderbar
• Advancepierre Foods
• Barber Foods
• Big AZ
• Fast Fixin'
• Pierre
• Like Mom's
• Landshire
• Russer
• Steak-EZE
• Original Philly Cheesesteak Co.
• Bryan Foods
• Reuben

Tyson Foods launched a venture capital fund in December 2016, called Tyson New Ventures. It was established with a $150 million commitment from Tyson Foods. The fund invests in companies that are developing breakthrough technologies, business models, and products related to sustainable food production.