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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 filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in December due to large debt and declining sales of chicken. 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 said in February it will idle three of its 32 plants as part of a reorganization. The plants that the company plans to idle by May are located in Douglas, GA; El Dorado, AR; and Farmerville, LA. These plants employ a total of approximately 3,000 people - or roughly 7 percent of the company's total U.S. workforce. Pilgrim's Pride will provide transition programs to employees whose positions are eliminated to assist them in securing new employment, filing for unemployment and obtaining other applicable benefits. Approximately 430 independent contract growers who supply birds to these three plants also will be affected. 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. Approximately 5,500 growers supply poultry for the company. Pilgrim’s Pride owns and operates five distribution centers in the United States and 18 in Mexico. The company exports commodity chicken and turkey products to more than 80 countries, including Japan, China, Russia and Kazakhstan. The company's net sales in fiscal 2008 were $8.5 billion. 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 March 1, 2009 |