Source:  Ann Bagel Storck, MEATINGPLACE.COM, 6/11/10

The Joint Industry Safety and Health Council, which is made up of members from the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, National Chicken Council and National Turkey Federation, has recognized chicken and turkey companies that exemplified outstanding safety performance through the implementation of innovative and effective safety and health programs. The first annual safety awards were presented during the 2010 National Safety Conference for the Poultry Industry.

Award consideration was based on injury statistics over three years and an evaluation of written applications by three judges: Craig Wyvill, recently retired director of the Agricultural Technology Research Program at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI); Gary Pohlmann of Marsh Risk Consulting; and Doug Britton of GTRI. The highest category was Award of Distinction. The other categories included Award of Honor and Award of Merit.

Award of Distinction

• Butterball LLC (Alix, Ark., feed mill; Huntsville, Ark.; Mt. Olive, N.C.; Ozark, Ark.)
• Cargill Turkey Production LLC (Temple, Texas, feed mill)
• Equity Group Kentucky Division LLC (Albany, Ky.)
• Simmons Foods Inc. (Van Buren, Ark.)
• Wayne Farms LLC (Pendergrass, Ga.)

Award of Honor

• Butterball LLC (Carthage, Mo.)
• Cargill Value Added Meats (Waco, Texas)
• Cobb-Vantress Inc. (Siloam Springs, Ark., feed mill)
• Equity Group Eufaula Division LLC (Bakerhill, Ala.)
• Equity Group Georgia Division LLC (Camilla, Ga., fresh and further processing)
• Gold'n Plump Poultry (Cold Spring, Minn.)
• Perdue Farms Inc. (Dillon, S.C.; Perry, Ga., cook plant; Rockingham, N.C.; Salisbury, Md., processing)
• Simmons Foods Inc. (Siloam Springs, Ark., further processing; Siloam Springs, Ark., hatchery; Siloam Springs, Ark., plant 1)
• Townsends of Arkansas (Batesville, Ark.)
• Tyson Foods River Valley Animal Foods (Seguin, Texas)
• Wayne Farms LLC (Danville, Ark., feed mill; Danville, Ark., hatchery; Laurel, Miss., hatchery)

Award of Merit

• Cobb-Vantress Inc. (Fayetteville, Ark., hatchery; Wadesboro, N.C., hatchery)
• Equity Group Georgia Division LLC (Camilla, Ga., hatchery)
• Gold'n Plump Poultry (Luverne, Minn.)
• Marshall Durbin Companies (Jasper, Ala.)
• Michigan Turkey Producers (Grand Rapids, Mich.)
• Perdue Farms Inc. (Candor, N.C., feed mill)
• Sanderson Farms Inc. (Hammond, La.; Laurel, Miss., processing)
• Sara Lee Corp. (Storm Lake, Iowa)
• Townsends Inc. (Siler City, N.C.)
• Tyson Foods River Valley Animal Foods (Robards, Ky.)
• Tyson Foods Inc. (Hope, Ark.; Hope, Ark., feed mill; Hope, Ark., hatchery; Rogers, Ark.)
• Wayne Farms LLC (Danville, Ark.; Decatur, Ala., processing; Decatur, Ala., west further processing; Dobson, N.C.; McComb, Miss.)

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