Smithfield Foods facts for kids
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| Public | |
| Traded as |
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| Industry | Meat processing |
| Founded | 1936, as Smithfield Packing Company, Smithfield, Virginia, United States |
| Founders | Joseph W. Luter, Sr. Joseph W. Luter, Jr. |
| Headquarters | 200 Commerce Street, Smithfield, Virginia |
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Area served
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Worldwide |
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Key people
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Shane Smith (CEO) |
| Products |
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| Brands | Cook's, Eckrich, Gwaltney, John Morrell, Krakus, and Smithfield, among others |
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Production output
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| Revenue |  US$14.4 billion (2015) |
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Operating income
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US$793.8 million (2015) |
| US$452.3 million (2015) |
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| Total assets | US$9.9 billion (2015) |
| Total equity |  US$4.8 billion (2015) |
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Number of employees
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50,200 (2016) |
| Parent | WH Group |
Smithfield Foods, Inc. is a big company that produces pork and other food products. It is based in Smithfield, Virginia, in the United States. The company started in 1936 as the Smithfield Packing Company. It was founded by Joseph W. Luter and his son. Today, Smithfield Foods is one of the largest pork producers in the world.
Smithfield Foods owns many farms and also works with other independent farms across the US. They have facilities in several countries, including Mexico, Poland, and the United Kingdom. In 2016, the company had over 50,000 employees worldwide.
In 2013, a Chinese company called WH Group bought Smithfield Foods. This was a very large purchase at the time. Smithfield Foods has grown over the years by buying other food companies. Some of its well-known brands include Cook's, Eckrich, Gwaltney, and Nathan's Famous. Shane Smith became the company's CEO in July 2021.
In 2025, a part of Smithfield Foods became publicly traded on the Nasdaq stock exchange. This means that people could buy shares in the company.
Contents
Company History
How Smithfield Foods Started
Smithfield Foods began in 1936. Joseph W. Luter Sr. and his son, Joseph W. Luter Jr., opened the Smithfield Packing Company in Smithfield, Virginia. They started by buying a few pigs each day. They would prepare the meat and sell it to small stores nearby.
The company grew steadily. By 1959, it had 650 employees. Joseph W. Luter Jr. was the CEO until he passed away in 1962. His son, Joseph W. Luter III, took over as chairman and CEO in 1966. He helped the company grow even more.
Later, Joseph W. Luter III left the company for a few years. He returned in 1975 when Smithfield was facing financial challenges. He helped turn the company around and make it successful again. He stayed as CEO until 2006 and as chairman until 2013.
Growing Through New Companies (1981–2007)
Smithfield Foods grew a lot by buying other companies. This started in 1981 with the purchase of Gwaltney of Smithfield. Over the next few decades, Smithfield bought almost 40 different companies. These included businesses that produced pork, beef, and livestock.
In 1992, Smithfield opened a very large processing plant in Tar Heel, North Carolina. By 2000, this plant could process 32,000 pigs every day. The company also bought major pig producers like Murphy Family Farms. By 2006, Smithfield and a few other companies produced most of the pork in the United States.
WH Group Buys Smithfield Foods (2013)
In 2013, a large Chinese company called WH Group bought Smithfield Foods. At the time, WH Group was known as Shuanghui Group. This was a very big deal, costing about $4.72 billion. It was the largest purchase of an American company by a Chinese company at that time.
The deal included Smithfield's farms and land. This made WH Group one of the biggest foreign owners of farmland in America. After the purchase, Smithfield started a plan called "One Smithfield" to bring all its different parts together.
More Growth and Changes (2016-2019)
Smithfield continued to grow by buying more companies. In 2016, it bought Clougherty Packing in California, which included the Farmer John brand. It also expanded its business in Europe, buying companies in Poland and Romania.
Becoming a Public Company (2025)
On January 28, 2025, Smithfield Foods became a publicly traded company on the Nasdaq stock exchange. This meant that people could buy shares in the company. WH Group still owned most of the company, about 90%. Later in 2025, more shares were sold, and WH Group's ownership became 88%.
Acquiring Nathan's Famous (2026)
On January 21, 2026, Smithfield Foods agreed to buy the famous hot dog brand, Nathan's Famous. This deal was worth $450 million. Smithfield already had a special agreement to make and sell Nathan's products. Buying the brand meant Smithfield would own the rights to Nathan's Famous forever.
How Smithfield Foods Operates
Employees and Popular Brands
In 2016, Smithfield Foods had over 50,000 employees in the US, Mexico, and Europe. The company earned $14 billion that year. Smithfield has many popular brands. Some of these include Armour, Cook's, Eckrich, Farmland, Gwaltney, John Morrell, Krakus, and Nathan's Famous.
In 2019, Smithfield also launched a plant-based food brand called Pure Farmland. This brand offers soy burgers and meatballs. The company also has a special division called "Smithfield Culinary." This part of the business works with chefs and culinary schools to create new and better food products.
Controlling the Production Process
Smithfield Foods uses a system called vertical integration. This means the company controls almost every step of pig production. It starts from when pigs are born, all the way to when the meat is processed and packaged. This system helps Smithfield ensure consistent quality in its products.
The company works with many farmers. Smithfield provides young pigs to these farmers. The farmers then raise the pigs following Smithfield's guidelines for their diet and care. This system helps the company produce a lot of pork.
Farm Housing and Waste Management
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On Smithfield's large farms, thousands of pigs live in special barns. These barns have slatted floors. This design allows farm waste to be collected and moved into large outdoor storage areas. These areas are sometimes called anaerobic lagoons.
These lagoons help manage farm waste. However, they can also release odors and methane gas. Methane is a greenhouse gas. Smithfield Foods says its lagoons have special liners to prevent leaks. The company is also working on projects to turn this farm waste into renewable energy. They are covering lagoons to capture methane gas. This gas can then be used to power homes.
Care for Mother Pigs
Smithfield Foods has been working to improve how it houses mother pigs used for breeding. These pigs used to spend most of their lives in small individual pens. These pens were too small for them to turn around.
In 2007, Smithfield announced it would stop using these individual pens by 2017. The company later updated this goal. By 2017, 87% of mother pigs on company-owned farms were no longer in these pens. Smithfield also asked its contract farms to make this change by 2022. Now, mother pigs on company farms are housed in group systems for most of their pregnancy. They move to special pens for giving birth.
California Plant Closures
In 2020, Smithfield closed its plant in San Jose, California. This led to 139 workers losing their jobs. The company said the closure was because its lease ended and the landlord decided to sell the property.
In June 2022, Smithfield announced it would close its plant in Vernon, California, by early 2023. The company also said it was looking into selling its farms in Arizona and California. Smithfield explained that the high costs of doing business in California were a reason for these decisions.
Operations in Mexico
Smithfield Foods has farms in Mexico, operated by its subsidiary Granjas Carroll de Mexico. These farms process many pigs each year. The company has faced questions about its environmental practices in Mexico.
Smithfield has stated that it works to meet environmental rules. It also uses special systems to turn farm waste into renewable energy. The company has said it regularly checks its pigs for illnesses and gives them vaccines.
Exports to China
After WH Group bought Smithfield, the company started sending more meat to China. This was partly because China had a shortage of pork due to a pig illness there. One plant in Smithfield, Virginia, processes about 10,000 pigs daily for export.
How Much Pork Smithfield Produces
In 2006, Smithfield raised 15 million pigs each year and processed 27 million. This produced over six billion pounds of pork. In 2007, Smithfield was the top pig-processing company in the United States.
Caring for the Environment
Reducing Emissions
Smithfield Foods has worked to manage the large amounts of farm waste it produces. In the past, the company faced challenges with waste management. For example, in the 1990s, some farm waste was released into rivers in North Carolina. Smithfield was fined for this and later reached an agreement with the state to pay $50 million over 25 years to improve environmental protection.
To address these issues, Smithfield created new roles to focus on environmental care. In 2001, it started an environmental management system. The company also hired experts to help improve its environmental practices. Many of Smithfield's facilities have received ISO 14001 certification. This shows they meet international standards for environmental management. The company has also worked with environmental groups to improve protection at its farms.
In 2018, Smithfield faced more challenges with farm waste lagoons during Hurricane Florence. Despite these events, the company continues to invest in modernizing its facilities.
Less Packaging Waste
Smithfield Foods has made efforts to reduce the amount of packaging it uses. For example, in 2009, one of its brands started using smaller packaging for smoked sausages. This change saved over 840,000 pounds of plastic and cardboard each year.
Other plants also reduced their use of plastic and cardboard. By using smaller boxes for transporting products, the company eliminated thousands of pounds of waste.
Smithfield Renewables Program
Smithfield and Dominion Energy created a partnership called Align Renewable Natural Gas in 2018. They plan to invest $500 million to create renewable natural gas from farm waste. This gas can be used just like regular natural gas.
Align Renewable Natural Gas collects methane from Smithfield's farms. This methane is a greenhouse gas. By capturing it, the project helps the environment. The goal is to produce enough gas to power 70,000 homes by 2028. Their first project in Milford, Utah, started powering 3,000 homes in 2019. Smithfield also has similar projects in Missouri, North Carolina, and Virginia.
Using Antibiotics Wisely
Smithfield Foods has policies about using antibiotics for its pigs. Sometimes, antibiotics are used to help pigs grow or to treat illnesses. There have been concerns that using antibiotics too much could lead to bacteria becoming resistant to them.
Smithfield has stated that it gives antibiotics only to sick animals or those near sick animals. In 2017, the company launched a brand called Pure Farms. These products are made from pigs raised without antibiotics, artificial ingredients, hormones, or steroids.
Animal Care
Company's Commitment to Animal Welfare
Smithfield Foods has a strict policy against animal cruelty. When concerns about animal care have been raised, Smithfield has taken action.
Working Conditions
Working with Employees and Unions
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For many years, there were discussions between Smithfield Foods and a workers' union, the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW). The union wanted to represent workers at the Tar Heel, North Carolina, plant. After a long period of talks and votes, the workers voted to join the union in 2008.
Organizations have also looked into working conditions in the meat industry, including at Smithfield plants. These reports mentioned that workers often do many repetitive tasks with knives. Smithfield has stated its commitment to providing a safe workplace for its employees.
In 2020, during the coronavirus pandemic, Smithfield Foods closed several of its plants. This was done to help control the spread of the virus. For example, the plant in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, closed in April 2020. This plant processes a large amount of pork for the United States.
Smithfield explained that these closures could lead to a shortage of meat. The company worked to implement safety measures for its employees. It also stated that it was disputing some workplace safety citations it received.
Medical Contributions
Smithfield Foods is a supplier of heparin. Heparin is a medicine that helps thin blood. It is taken from pigs' intestines and used by pharmaceutical companies.
In 2017, Smithfield started a special bioscience unit. This unit joined a group that works on tissue engineering. This group receives funding from the United States Department of Defense.
Marketing and Sponsorships
Sports Sponsorships
Smithfield Foods has sponsored NASCAR racing. In 2012, the company started sponsoring driver Aric Almirola and the No. 43 car. Smithfield featured different brands like Smithfield, Eckrich, and Nathan's Famous on the car.
As of 2023, Smithfield continues to sponsor Aric Almirola in the NASCAR Cup Series. The company encouraged Almirola to continue his racing career and their partnership for several more years.
Meat Alternatives
In 2019, Smithfield Foods began selling meat substitutes. These products are similar to those made by companies like Impossible Foods. Smithfield sells these plant-based products under its Pure Farmland brand.
 | Claudette Colvin |
 | Myrlie Evers-Williams |
 | Alberta Odell Jones |
