Tyson, Hillshire Complete Merger, Select New Leadership Team

Tyson Foods, Inc., Springdale, Ark., completed its merger with The Hillshire Brands Co., Chicago.

The combination of Tyson Foods and Hillshire Brands creates a single company with more than $40 billion in annual sales and a portfolio that includes brands such as Tyson, Wright, Jimmy Dean, Ball Park, State Fair and Hillshire Farm.  

“As of today, Tyson Foods and Hillshire Brands are officially together in one great company,” says Donnie Smith, chief executive officer for Tyson Foods. “Part of our strategic growth plan has been to shift toward higher-margin prepared and branded foods. This transaction gives us a portfolio of complementary proven brands as a new springboard, and accomplishes in a short time what would have taken us years to build on our own.”  

As a result, Tyson selected a new leadership team that includes a mix of existing senior leaders from both Tyson Foods and Hillshire Brands.

Andy Callahan, former president of Hillshire’s retail business, will manage all retail consumer brands, including Jimmy Dean, Ball Park, Hillshire Farm, Sara Lee, Tyson frozen, value-added poultry and Wright brand bacon along with Hillshire’s Gourmet Food Group.

Sally Grimes, former chief innovation officer and president of Hillshire’s Gourmet Food Group, will lead Tyson’s innovation (including research and development), sales and global brand strategy teams to support all products sold through retail channels and maximize global growth.