Irwin to succeed Plylar as president of Mountaire Farms

Phillip Plylar, who has been with the company for 28 years, will retire at the end of 2024.

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Amanda Irwin, chief operating officer of Mountaire Farms, will become the company's president in 2025.
Amanda Irwin, chief operating officer of Mountaire Farms, will become the company's president in 2025.
Courtesy Mountaire Farms

Phillip Plylar, president and CEO of Mountaire Farms, will retire, effective December 31, 2024.

Upon Plylar’s retirement, Amanda Irwin, chief operating officer, will be promoted to the role of president.

About Phillip Plylar

Plylar became president of the company in November 2018, following the retirement of Paul Downes. Prior to that, he held various roles within the company, including times as the executive vice president of sales and operations, where he was responsible for all Mountaire production planning, business development, sales, and marketing activities, and will now also be responsible for all processing operations, food safety, transportation, rendering and purchasing functions. 

Phillip Plylar, president and CEO of Mountaire Farms, is retiring at the end of 2024.Phillip Plylar, president and CEO of Mountaire Farms, is retiring at the end of 2024.Courtesy Mountaire Farms

“We are grateful for Phil’s many contributions over the last 28 years, which have led to the company's continued growth and prosperity,” said Dabbs Cavin, CEO of Mountaire Corporation, parent company of Mountaire Farms. “Phil has done such a tremendous job leading Mountaire Farms that we are now the fourth-largest company in our industry.”

Looking back on his career with Mountaire Farms, Plylar stated: “I feel very fortunate to have been a part of this industry and to have had the opportunity to spend the last 28 years of my career with Mountaire,” Plylar said. “It has been an honor to work for Ronnie Cameron and I cannot say enough positive things about him. I want to thank the fantastic leadership team I have had the privilege to work alongside, as well as our team members across the company.

“I never thought I would be in the chicken business, now I cannot imagine having done anything else. I am grateful to have had this opportunity and I look forward to serving and consulting with the business, helping support the company’s continued success in any way that I can."   

About Amanda Irwin

Irwin started as an intern at the former Townsend’s Millsboro, Delaware, complex, which was later purchased by Mountaire in 2000. She has spent her entire career with the company.

“Her comprehensive understanding of our business and her exceptional track record make her the ideal choice for this role,” Cavin said. “More importantly, she embodies the culture we strive for at Mountaire — committed to doing the right thing and treating everyone with respect.”

Among Irwin’s other roles with Mountaire before taking her current job as COO include being the director of business development. She also held positions in live operations, processing operations and sales.

“I am truly humbled and excited by this new opportunity," Irwin said. "It is an honor to have been selected by the board to succeed Phil as president. I would like to take this moment to thank Phil for his outstanding leadership and guidance over the years, both to me personally and to Mountaire Farms. As I look ahead, I see a bright future for our company. I promise to remain highly committed and work to ensure that we continue to achieve our vision while remaining true to the principles and core values that have been the foundation of Mountaire Farms' success."

On the appointment of Irwin to succeed him, Plylar said he could not be more excited for her.

"I have worked with her for many years and seen her outstanding performance as a member of our leadership team. I have complete confidence in her, and I look forward to seeing her take the company to new heights," Plylar said.

In addition to being the fourth largest poultry producer in the United States, Mountaire Farms is the 21st largest in the world, having produced 67.4 million pounds of ready-to-cook chicken on a weekly basis in 2023, according to the WATTPoultry.com Top Poultry Companies Database. It slaughtered 410 million broilers during the course of the year.

Mountaire also ranks as the 54th largest feed producer in the world, having produced more than 2.8 million metric tons of feed during the past year.

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