Case Farms observing 30 years in poultry business

Starting as a small family-owned Ohio poultry operation in 1986, Case Farms is now a fully integrated poultry farming and processing group and one of the nation’s leading poultry producers. The company is now celebrating its 30th anniversary.

Yurii Bukhanovskyi, Bigstock
Yurii Bukhanovskyi, Bigstock

Starting as a small family-owned Ohio poultry operation in 1986, Case Farms is now a fully integrated poultry farming and processing group and one of the nation’s leading poultry producers. The company is now celebrating its 30th anniversary.

“This is an exciting time for us,” said Tom Shelton, chairman and CEO of Case Farms. “When I bought this business 30 years ago, innovation was a large part of my vision.  We put in new processes and new approaches to fit the changing needs of the poultry industry. This anniversary milestone is a testament to the success of Case Farms’ commitment to this vision.”

Built on more than two decades of management experience in the poultry industry, Shelton purchased Case Egg & Poultry on December 27, 1986 which included a processing plant in Winesburg, Ohio, a hatchery in Strasburg, Ohio and a food distribution facility in Akron, Ohio. In its first year of operation, the company, now known as Case Farms, processed 135,000 chickens per week, had 140 team members and produced 22 million pounds of poultry products.

In the years that followed, Case Farms expanded into North Carolina, adding poultry operations in Morganton and Goldsboro and a genetics operation in Troutman. In 2012, Case Farms acquired the Canton Division from Park Farms and expanded its poultry operations into Canton, Ohio. 

In 2015, the company processed 18.4 million pounds of ready to cook chicken on a weekly basis, according to the WATTAgNet Top Poultry Companies Database. It ranks 14th among the top poultry companies in the United States.

“Case Farms has been ‘The Chicken of Choice’ for 30 years.  We hope that will continue to be so for 30 more,” said Shelton.

Emphasis on worker safety and health

Over the years, Case Farms has established a reputation for industry-leading innovation, specifically in the way of worker safety and health program initiatives. Accolades within the industry include the Award of Honor and the Award of Merit from the Poultry Industry Safety and Health Council, the Award of Honor from the American Meat Institute and the American Humane Certification from American Humane. 

“Worker safety is an integral component of the culture at Case Farms,” adds Kevin Phillips, president of Case Farms. “Our ongoing commitment to creating and providing the best worker safety program for our employees is a driving force behind our 30 years of success. We are grateful to have such hard working, dedicated and loyal employees as the backbone of our company.”

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