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No spring chicken Don Tyson, senior chairman of Tyson Foods, Inc., weathered decades of lean years to bring his father's creation to market dominance. The leader in the U.S. chicken market, Tyson has grown since its Depression-era founding by eradicating the competition. Its motto: segment, concentrate, dominate. The company meticulously oversees every stage of product development, from breeding, to butchering, to marketing. Tyson's product line includes chickens and chicken products, Cornish game hens, tortillas and tortilla chips, and animal and pet feed. The company also raises swine, giving Tyson a hefty share in the markets for both the original and the other white meat. While its domestic sales remain strong, Tyson has recently become a strong poultry exporter, most notably to Japan, Mexico, South Africa, Russia, and China. The international group is responsible for about 15 to 20 percent of sales volume. Fins away... how 'bout a thigh? John Tyson developed a method of transporting live chickens in 1935 to fill what he saw as a profitable niche. Over the next decade, Tyson transported his chickens from his Arkansas home to such markets as Kansas City and Chicago. Soon, circumstances forced the elder Tyson to begin raising his own chickens and processing his own feed. Joined by his son, Don, the elder Tyson began a processing plant. Following John's death, Don promoted rapid company growth via fierce acquisition. By the late 1980s, the company had acquired competitors like Prospect Farms, Heritage Valley, and Holly Farms. In 1992, the company plunged into the seafood industry with the purchase of Louis Kemp Seafood and Arctic Alaska Fisheries. After seven years of dipping into the icy waters of the frozen north, Tyson set its seafood business free in 1999. Dropping the egg Tyson turned chicken in the face of recent turmoil. Challenged with high feed costs and breeding-happy chickens, Tyson watched its 1997 earnings plummet. That same year, it sold off its beef-processing plants and pled guilty to gratuities charges that it had passed on gifts to agriculture secretary, Mike Espy. In 1998, two Tyson employees, an executive and a lobbyist, were convicted on related charges. 21st century turmoil? Heading back to the chicken yard, Tyson sold both a Minnesota meat processing plant and turkey processor, Willow Brook, to Willow Brook management. Also in 1998, John W. Tyson, the grandson of the founder, was elected chairman and Wayne Britt was declared the new CEO. Faced with flat earnings, the company said it would continue to close plants and reduce its workforce, although it offered no specifics. Tyson also sold Pierre Foods for $122 million to Fresh Foods, A North Carolina restaurant owner. Britt is optimistic about the company's future, however. In a recent statement, he declared, "1998 is now behind us. Our financial results reflect the impact of the Hudson Foods acquisition, the worldwide economic stability, along with the collapse of the Russian marketplace... We feel good about the manner in which we managed through these issues." In 1999 the company decided to concentrate on poultry and solf off its pork subsidiary. In August 1999 the company sued competitor ConAgra, alleging the food giant had exploited proprietary information by hiring four Tyson executives. The case is pending, although three of the executives are barred from holding similar positions at ConAgra for one year. Dismal safety record Tyson Foods has come under fire after a recent string of accidents. In July 1999 two workers in a Tyson chicken processing plant in Kentucky died in a pit of poultry entrails. In August of that year a Tyson worker was crushed under an elevator, prompting calls for a federal investigation. And in October the company was fined by the U.S. Labor Department for child labor violations after the death of a 15-year-old at an Arkansas chicken house earlier in the year. Overall, 1999 proved to be a dismal year safety-wise with no less than seven work-related deaths. That year, Tyson workers waged a 2-month strike against Tyson in Indiana, demanding living wages and decent working conditions. Thousands of workers sued the company seeking back wages for unpaid work time. Tyson was fined in February 2000 by Kentucky's Labor Cabinet and by Maryland safety inspectors. What particularly irked employees was that despite the accidents, and despite a 22 percent decrease in value of Tyson stock, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported increases of 78 percent in Tyson executive year-end bonuses.
A market leader, Tyson looks for candidates with strong leadership and communication skills to help it continue its industry dominance. Basic skills and prior experience are plusses. Resumes are accepted by regular mail and fax at the company's Springsdale, AR headquarters. Positions open most frequently in the Marketing, Production, Human Resources, Quality Control, Accounting, and the Finance & Sales Departments. Human Resources pre-screens all candidates before the main interviewing process begins. Most applicants will undergo a wave of interviews with three to five department managers. New hires are typically brought aboard in Tyson's Mid-West or Southeast regions. For information on specific job listings, visit Tyson's website at www.tyson.com.
Tied to Tyson By and large, Tyson employees are enthusiastic about the company's name and products. Although the company "is huge," insiders stress that size "doesn't affect the job" and that they "plan to stay for quite some time." With so much room for upward mobility, "Tyson makes every effort to recruit from within the company." "Referrals are also popular." As far as diversity is concerned, one insider believes, "Tyson has done an excellent job in affording both women and minorities opportunities for career advancement." Adds another: "A large portion of our workforce is minority; and Tyson has always made an attempt to 'grow our people' into tomorrow's management team." Women insiders insist that they don't feel they are treated "differently on account of being female." Nevertheless, one less-than-enamored insider reveals, "the concept of diversity in Northwest Arkansas is utterly misleading." Waves of khaki "I don't think the interview process is overly stressful," reports one insider. "But preparing in advance would make it easier to do well. You might try reading the home page and last year's annual report." Dress code at Tyson varies "depending upon position." However, most insiders call it "relaxed." "We don't wear denim jeans or shorts, but we do wear casual sports clothes." There is, says another insider, "an official 'Tyson' uniform that consists of khaki pants with a khaki shirt that is embossed with name and Tyson logo. The shirts are free. We also wear nice golf shirts." The dress code is a little less formal on "charity fundraising days, when [employees] pay $5 and wear jeans." Additionally, managers "wear shirts with their first names on them in order to encourage 'approachability.'" If the money's right "Pay is competitive with the Southwest/Midwest region of the country," observes one Tyson insider. "There are stock purchase plans with company matching at 50 percent, 401(k), dental, vision, health, and in a good year, bonuses." There are also "salary pay grades" that "use the same criteria--experience, initiative, knowledge, and performance." A different insider has a alternative view: "The benefits package is probably not the greatest in the world, but I would match it against most companies." Just for fun Although the day can "extend past the 8 to 5 norm," Tyson's perks seem to cheer up hardworking employees. "There are regularly special functions such as basketball tournaments, Halloween dress up and decorating contests, and lunchtime barbecues," reports one insider. "And usually the day before a holiday the company dismisses everyone a couple of hours early. So, they do try to keep morale up." One hungry insider reports that working for a food company has its advantages: "There is a nice cafeteria on site and once or twice a year they have a free meal day."
Russell Tooley Human Resources P.O. Box 20201 CP421 Springdale AR 72765-2020 (501) 290-7984
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