Tyson Foods and Malayan Flour Mills Berhad (MFM) announced a partnership in which Tyson Foods will invest in the Malaysia-based company’s vertically integrated poultry business, which will add more supply flexibility for both companies. The transaction is subject to approval by the shareholders of Malayan Flour Mills Berhad, amongst others.

Butterball Foodservice has launched a new website that will quickly connect operators with much needed resources, tools and information. The site revamp emerges as the need for strategies to counter the significant losses of the past year becomes urgent. Enhanced capabilities and an updated design improve the user experience on ButterballFoodservice.com and provide efficient access to comprehensive product detail, trending recipe applications and industry and consumer insights as operators navigate a recovery-focused period.

Foster Farms is providing the Moderna vaccine to 1,000 employees at its Fresno, California, Cherry Avenue poultry facility. In partnership with Fresno County’s Public Health Department and Vons Pharmacy, this vaccination program marks the first large scale effort to vaccinate a workforce at a major food processing facility in Fresno County.

Butterball, one of the largest producers of turkey products in the United States, announced that it is investing a combined $8.7 million and creating a total of 360 new jobs within three years in two processing facilities in Northwest Arkansas. The expansion includes a $4.7 million investment in Ozark where the company will create 160 jobs and a $4 million investment in Huntsville where it will create 200 new jobs.

Butterball announces the hiring of Darrell Bradfield as director, corporate safety, health and security. Bradfield provides strategic planning and oversight of policies, programs, and processes to ensure on-the-job safety, health, and well-being of all Butterball team members. He is responsible for supporting Butterball’s Safety-First culture and promoting continuous improvement of safety performance.

Tyson Foods announced the appointment of Dr. Claudia Coplein to the newly-created role of Chief Medical Officer. Coplein is a physician executive who brings more than 20 years of healthcare experience to the company after holding leadership roles in the insurance, global manufacturing, healthcare and technology fields. Her immediate focus will be assisting the company’s efforts to protect team members during the Covid-19 pandemic, while also working to expand and promote a culture of health, safety and wellness at Tyson.

Virginia Governor Ralph Northam announced that Shenandoah Valley Organic (SVO), a family-owned organic chicken company, will establish a second 75,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility in the City of Harrisonburg. The new facility will increase production capacity and retail packaging, allowing for more product availability in leading grocery stores across the United States. Virginia successfully competed with West Virginia for the project, which will create 110 new jobs.

Farmer Focus Organic Poultry adds turkey to its lineup of humanely raised chicken, bringing delicious poultry to the Thanksgiving table. Each Farmer Focus Broad Breasted Bronze Turkey is humanely raised on an independent family farm in the picturesque Shenandoah Valley. Unlike commercially bred birds, this breed of heirloom turkey has a long purebred lineage. This means they grow more slowly, as did farm-raised birds of the past. That longer grow time leads to a more tender, juicier, and better-tasting bird.

Wayne Farms is continuing its expansion into the retail space with the launch of CHEF’S CRAFT Gourmet Chicken into grocery stores. The chef-inspired brand of products is now available for purchase at Walmart and Food Lion stores. The Flame Grilled Chicken Breast Fillet and Grilled Chicken Breast Chunks are being sold at about 2,400 Walmart stores and more than 1,000 Food Lions. The Breaded Chicken Breast Chunks will be available later this fall in stores. Each of these products are made from no-antibiotics, vegetarian-fed chickens.

Donnie King has been named president of Tyson Foods’ poultry business. King has over 35 years of experience working in the poultry business, both domestically and globally. He will once again lead the company’s chicken unit, guiding and mentoring members of its leadership team, including Chad Martin, who will take on the new role of chief operating officer of poultry.