John W. Tyson
Encyclopedia
John W. Tyson was an American
businessman, the founder of American multinational corporation
Tyson Foods
and, from 1935 until his death in 1967, its Chief Executive Officer
.
. Investing his savings and borrowing more, he drove 500 chickens from his state to Chicago
, Illinois
, earning enough profit from the trip to fund another. When that proved successful, he began increasing his independence, adding incubators to his enterprise so that he could raise his own chicks and mill
ing his own chicken feed.
In the 1940s, Tyson purchased a broiler farm in Springdale, Arkansas
and began cross-breeding the high-meat yield New Hampshire Red Christy chickens with other birds, a practice that was not then standard in the industry but which proved successful for Tyson. In 1947, he incorporated Tyson Feed and Hatchery, which was active in three phases of chicken farming: supplying chicks to farmers, selling feed to farmers, and transporting chickens to market. By 1952, the year Tyson's son Don Tyson dropped out of college to join the company as general manager
, Tyson Feed and Hatchery was well established, but the field was competitive and the market was troubled. Tyson and his son considered accepting a buy-out offer from Swanson
, but decided to persist instead, and by the end of the decade had built the company's first processing plant in Springdale at a cost of $90,000, $15,000 above estimates. Through 1961, Tyson and his son set about increasing revenues, entering the commercial egg business in 1961 and going public, under the new name Tyson's Foods, in 1963.
John W. Tyson died in a train accident
in 1967 and was succeeded as CEO by his son.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
businessman, the founder of American multinational corporation
Multinational corporation
A multi national corporation or enterprise , is a corporation or an enterprise that manages production or delivers services in more than one country. It can also be referred to as an international corporation...
Tyson Foods
Tyson Foods
Tyson Foods, Inc. is a multinational corporation based in Springdale, Arkansas, that operates in the food industry. The company is the world's second largest processor and marketer of chicken, beef, and pork only behind Brazilian JBS S.A., and annually exports the largest percentage of beef out of...
and, from 1935 until his death in 1967, its Chief Executive Officer
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
.
Biography
Tyson's career in the poultry market began when he heard that chickens were bringing in higher prices in the northern parts of the United States than in his home of ArkansasArkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
. Investing his savings and borrowing more, he drove 500 chickens from his state to Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, earning enough profit from the trip to fund another. When that proved successful, he began increasing his independence, adding incubators to his enterprise so that he could raise his own chicks and mill
Gristmill
The terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
ing his own chicken feed.
In the 1940s, Tyson purchased a broiler farm in Springdale, Arkansas
Springdale, Arkansas
As of the census of 2010, there were 69,797 people, 22,805 households, and 16,640 families residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 64.7% White, 0.82% Black or African American, 1.8% Native American, 1.4% Asian, 5.7% Pacific Islander, 22% from other races, and 2.9% from two or more...
and began cross-breeding the high-meat yield New Hampshire Red Christy chickens with other birds, a practice that was not then standard in the industry but which proved successful for Tyson. In 1947, he incorporated Tyson Feed and Hatchery, which was active in three phases of chicken farming: supplying chicks to farmers, selling feed to farmers, and transporting chickens to market. By 1952, the year Tyson's son Don Tyson dropped out of college to join the company as general manager
General manager
General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
, Tyson Feed and Hatchery was well established, but the field was competitive and the market was troubled. Tyson and his son considered accepting a buy-out offer from Swanson
Swanson
Swanson is a brand of TV dinners, broths, and canned poultry made for the North American market. The TV dinner business is currently owned by Pinnacle Foods, while the broth business is currently owned by the Campbell Soup Company...
, but decided to persist instead, and by the end of the decade had built the company's first processing plant in Springdale at a cost of $90,000, $15,000 above estimates. Through 1961, Tyson and his son set about increasing revenues, entering the commercial egg business in 1961 and going public, under the new name Tyson's Foods, in 1963.
John W. Tyson died in a train accident
Train wreck
A train wreck or train crash is a type of disaster involving one or more trains. Train wrecks often occur as a result of miscommunication, as when a moving train meets another train on the same track; or an accident, such as when a train wheel jumps off a track in a derailment; or when a boiler...
in 1967 and was succeeded as CEO by his son.