Full Description

Tyson Foods, Inc. is a meat protein and food production company. The Company produces, distributes and markets chicken, beef, pork, prepared foods and related allied products. It operates in four segments: Chicken, Beef, Pork and Prepared Foods. The Company’s integrated operations consist of breeding stock, contract growers, feed production, processing, further-processing, marketing and transportation of chicken and related allied products, including animal and pet food ingredients. Through the Company’s wholly owned subsidiary, Cobb-Vantress, Inc. (Cobb), it also operates as a poultry breeding stock supplier. In August 2009, it acquired 60% interest in a joint venture with a vertically integrated poultry operation in eastern China. In March 2009, the Company sold beef processing, cattle feed yard and fertilizer of three of its Alberta, Canada subsidiaries to XL Foods Inc.

Tyson Foods, Inc. also processes live fed cattle and hogs and fabricates dressed beef and pork carcasses into primal and sub-primal meat cuts, case ready beef and pork and fully cooked meats. The Company produces a range of frozen and refrigerated food products. Its products are marketed and sold primarily by its sales staff to national and regional grocery retailers, regional grocery wholesalers, meat distributors, warehouse club stores, military commissaries, industrial food processing companies, national and regional chain restaurants or their distributors, international export companies and domestic distributors who serve restaurants, foodservice operations, such as plant and school cafeterias, convenience stores, hospitals, and other vendors. Its sales to the military and a portion of sales to international markets are made through independent brokers and trading companies.

Chicken

Chicken operations include breeding and raising chickens, as well as processing live chickens into frozen chicken products and logistics operations to move products through the supply chain. Products are marketed domestically to food retailers, foodservice distributors, restaurant operators and noncommercial foodservice establishments, such as schools, hotel chains, healthcare facilities, the military and other food processors, as well as to international markets. It also includes sales from allied products and its chicken breeding stock subsidiary.

Beef

Beef operations include processing live fed cattle and fabricating dressed beef carcasses into primal and sub-primal meat cuts and case-ready products. This segment also includes sales from allied products, such as hides and variety meats, as well as logistics operations to move products through the supply chain. Products are marketed domestically to food retailers, foodservice distributors, restaurant operators and noncommercial foodservice establishments, such as schools, hotel chains, healthcare facilities, the military and other food processors, as well as to international markets. Allied products are marketed to manufacturers of pharmaceuticals and technical products.

Pork

Pork operations include processing live market hogs and fabricating pork carcasses into primal and sub-primal cuts and case-ready products. This segment also includes its live swine group, related allied product processing activities and logistics operations to move products through the supply chain. Products are marketed domestically to food retailers, foodservice distributors, restaurant operators and noncommercial foodservice establishments, such as schools, hotel chains, healthcare facilities, the military and other food processors, as well as to international markets. The Company sells allied products to pharmaceutical and technical products manufacturers, as well as a limited number of live swine to pork processors.

Prepared Foods

Prepared Foods operations include manufacturing and marketing frozen and refrigerated food products, as well as logistics operations to move products through the supply chain. Products include pepperoni, bacon, beef and pork pizza toppings, pizza crusts, flour and corn tortilla products, appetizers, prepared meals, ethnic foods, soups, sauces, side dishes, meat dishes, and processed meats. Products are marketed domestically to food retailers, foodservice distributors, restaurant operators and noncommercial foodservice establishments, such as schools, hotel chains, healthcare facilities, the military and other food processors, as well as to international markets.