Foster Farms President and CEO Ron Foster intends to resign from his current position with the California-based poultry company. Foster, while stepping down from his role as president and CEO, will remain an owner and director for Foster Farms.
“I have greatly enjoyed the past 11 years as your CEO. During this period, we have witnessed some of the most challenging and some of the most rewarding times in our company’s history,” Foster wrote in a letter to his employees on October 9. “I am confident that Foster Farms is positioned to do great things.”
The search for a successor has begun. Foster will remain in the top leadership role until the transition is complete, reported the Turlock Journal.
During Foster's tenure, Foster Farms became the first major poultry producer in the United States to be certified by the American Humane Association and witnessed a 70 percent increase in sales.Foster oversaw more than 10,000 company employees.
Foster's time with the company has been challenging in recent months, particularly when Salmonella outbreak linked to three of the company's poultry processing plants caused 634 people in the United States and Puerto Rico to become sick. Shortly after the outbreak, Foster Farms stepped up its food safety efforts, implementing a $75 million initiative to reduce naturally occurring Salmonella at each stage of the production process. The company stated as a result of the new food safety program, Foster Farms now leads the poultry industry in reducing incidence levels of Salmonella in raw poultry parts companywide to less than 5 percent.
Foster Farms president and CEO stepping down
Foster Farms President and CEO Ron Foster announced plans to step down from his current position on Thursday. Although he is relinquishing the title of President and CEO, the third generation family member in charge of the poultry company still plans to continue on with his role as owner and director.
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