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Website: http://www.pilgrimspride.com Pilgrim's Pride Corporation is the largest chicken producer in the United States and the second-largest chicken company in Mexico. The company's products are sold to foodservice, retail and frozen entree customers. The company's primary distribution is through retailers, foodservice distributors and restaurants throughout the United States and Puerto Rico and in the Northern and Central regions of Mexico. Pilgrim's Pride owns and operates 37 chicken processing plants (34 in the U.S. and three in Mexico), 12 prepared-foods plants and one turkey processing plant. 36 feed mills and 49 hatcheries support these plants. Approximately 6,400 growers supply poultry for the company's operations. Pilgrim's Pride produces 42 million dozen table eggs per year and can produce up to 1 million dozen eggs per week during peak holiday seasons. The company exports commodity chicken and turkey products to more than 80 countries, including Japan, China, Russia and Kazakhstan. The company announced in March it would close a chicken processing center and six of its 13 distribution centers, resulting in the layoff of 1,100 workers, blaming the high cost of chicken feed. Pilgrim's Pride reported revenues of $7.6 billion in fiscal 2007 and net income of $47 million. History Starting in 1946, with $1,000 in cash and a $2,500 loan, Aubrey Pilgrim, the eldest Pilgrim brother, began what was to become his legacy to the poultry industry - a feed store. Later, Bo and Aubrey became partners in the feed store. The two had been giving away 100 baby chicks with each feed sack purchase. "We started selling baby chicks to farmers who brought the chickens back to us to sell," said Mr. Pilgrim. They sold their first chicken from a pen behind their farm supply store over 50 years ago. As the demand for the chickens grew, the first steps were taken toward creating the modern, vertically integrated chicken company, known as Pilgrim's Pride. Over the years, Pilgrim's Pride has continually worked to make improvements in the food industry. In 1970, it took nine and a half weeks to grow a four-pound chicken. Today, they can grow a four-pound chicken in six weeks. The company acquired Conagra's chicken division in 2003 which helped double the company's revenues. Updated April 6, 2008 |