SPRINGDALE, Ark. – Tyson Foods Inc. last week marked its fiftieth year in the poultry processing industry and a workplace safety achievement.

Tyson was founded in 1935 when founder John W. Tyson began hauling live chickens to markets in Kansas City and St. Louis. The company started processing poultry in 1958 at its plant in Springdale, Ark.

Tyson celebrated the anniversary of the poultry plant with a special luncheon for current and former employees, as well as invited community and state leaders. The event included remarks by former CEO and current board member Don Tyson, as well as the reading of a letter from Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe.

Tyson’s Randall Road Plant was also reportedly honored for achieving nine million work hours, the equivalent of nine years, without a lost workday accident. The plant’s achievement is a companywide record for Tyson processing plants.

“We’re extremely proud of achieving a company safety record and congratulate our team members for their commitment to workplace safety,” said Shannon Fancher, manager of the Randall Road plant. “We will continue to make safety a top priority and hope to exceed the ten million hours mark.”

Source: Tyson Foods Inc.