By: Noelle O’Mara, Group President, Prepared Foods
Group President, Prepared Foods
Illinois has been part of the history of our business from the very humblest of beginnings. In 1935, our founder John Tyson was hauling fruits and vegetables in Northwest Arkansas and identified an opportunity to buy a load of live chickens and take them north to Chicago and Kansas City to sell.
From that first load of chickens, John and the generations of Tysons that followed him built their name on providing families with wholesome, great-tasting protein – growing a global, multibillion-dollar food production company that, today, is so much more than chicken.
Currently, one in five pounds of beef, chicken and pork in the U.S. is produced by independent farmers, growers and more than 139,000 Tyson Foods team members around the world. At Tyson, the core of all we do is our holistic mission to raise the world’s expectations for how much good food can do. We take pride in helping to feed the world: that’s who we are.
Along with providing delicious food for the tables of families and friends across the world, we also do all we can to give back in the more than 100 communities across the U.S. where we own and operate facilities. Our community impact work, product donations and grants, and hunger and disaster relief efforts are focused on improving the quality of life for all people where we live, work and play.
In FY20 alone, our business donated a record 120 million meals to those in need. We also award hunger relief grants to food banks and other non-profit partners, including Feeding America, Feed the Children, One Egg and Miles that Matter. We are always focus efforts where we feel we can uniquely add value and generate the most impact.
