Like many American companies, Sanderson Farms started small, supplying farmers with what they needed to grow crops and livestock. Now, over 70 years later, Sanderson Farms has grown to be the nation’s third largest poultry producer and is still headquartered in the Sanderson family’s hometown of Laurel, Mississippi.
“Sanderson Farms is proud of its roots in the American South,” said Joe Frank Sanderson, Jr., chairman and chief executive officer. “Though the company has grown in size, our commitment to the values of honesty, hard work, and innovation has remained steadfast.”
Sanderson Farms processes 12.1 million chickens each week, working with over 1,000 American family farmers to raise these birds. All production and processing take place in locations across the South in Mississippi, Louisiana, Georgia, Texas, and North Carolina.
The company’s excellent logistics team and strategic plant placement means that most Sanderson Farms chicken found in grocery stores was packaged and delivered for retailer and wholesale distribution within 24 hours of being processed.
“All of Sanderson Farms’ chickens are raised, harvested, and packaged in the United States,” said Lampkin Butts, president and COO of Sanderson Farms. “When you see Sanderson Farms chicken, you can rest assured it has never left the United States nor was it imported from another country. We do regularly export our products to over 50 countries across the world, but those products are sold and consumed outside of the U.S. We feel it is our responsibility to go above and beyond USDA standards to guarantee freshness and safety.”
Sanderson Farms has demonstrated its commitment to keeping and creating new jobs in America and protecting these jobs through careful hiring practices. Currently, the company employs over 15,000 people across 5 states and 17 cities.
Rather than relying on acquisition, Sanderson Farms has chosen to expand by building new, state-of-the-art facilities. Sanderson Farms’ newest project is a $200 million facility in Tyler, TX, which will bring 1,700 new jobs to East Texas and have an estimated $1.4 billion economic impact over 10 years.
When Sanderson Farms enters a community, the company often becomes one of the area’s main providers of employment. The company actively seeks to make a difference in the communities in which it operates. Since 2011, Sanderson Farms has given over $12 million dollars in charitable donation and disaster relief to communities across the South.
Years of commitment to the all-American values of hard work, honesty, and integrity have grown the family business, Sanderson Farms, into the country’s third largest poultry producer. “Sanderson Farms has risen to its rank in the American poultry industry because of our leaders, employees, and the communities that support us,” said Joe Frank Sanderson, Jr. “Our story is proof that the American Dream is alive and well, and that with hard work and determination, great growth is possible.”