Salisbury, MD, Aug. 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Perdue Farms emerged as a leader in workplace safety by the 2024 National Safety Council for the Poultry Industry. The company secured the most awards of Distinction of any Member Company, with 12 facilities being recognized with this prestigious award. In total, Perdue Foods’ facilities across 15 states were recognized by the Joint Safety and Health Council for their exceptional leadership in implementing innovative and effective workplace safety health processes and systems.

At the 2024 National Safety Council for the Poultry Industry event in Destin, Florida, five Perdue Foods processing facilities and seven additional facilities received the Award of Distinction, the highest honor awarded by the Council. The Perdue sites receiving the Award of Distinction included:

• Milford Plant, Delaware
• Schulenburg Plant, Texas
• Monterey Plant, Tennessee
• Lewiston Plant, North Carolina
• Perry Plant Harvest, Georgia
• Bridgeville Feedmill, Delaware
• Eagle Springs Hatchery, North Carolina
• Kenly Hatchery, North Carolina
• Trion Hatchery, Georgia
• Ahoskie Growout, North Carolina
• Perry Growout, Georgia
• Brownsville Breeders, Kentucky

"At Perdue Farms, the well-being and safety of our associates is our top priority," stated Gregg Uecker, Chief Supply Chain and Operations Officer, Perdue Farms. "We foster a culture where safety is paramount in every aspect of our operations. The commitment is evident in our comprehensive safety programs and the active participation of all team members and site locations. We understand that a safe and healthy workplace is foundational to our associates' success and their ability to return home safe each day."

To qualify for an Industry Safety and Health Award, facilities must maintain their key Occupational Safety and Health Administration safety metrics — Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR) and Days Away, Restricted or Transferred (DART) — at levels lower than the industry average for three consecutive years. Additionally, facilities cannot have a severe injury or fatality (SIF) during the award period. The OSHA metric ultimately determines only 40% of the application score. An independent panel of judges score of each facility’s written explanation of its safety programs and processes comprises the majority (60%) of the award consideration. This year only 60 facilities (25%) of 244 facilities in four categories achieved a total score above 90 and the Award of Distinction.

Additional Awards:
Awards of Honor: Fifteen Perdue operations received this award, the Council’s second highest honor. They include the food-producing operations at Cromwell Plant, Kentucky; Georgetown Plant, Delaware; Washington Plant, Indiana; Concord Plant, North Carolina; support activities Mountain Valley Breeders, West Virginia; Beaver Dam Growout, Kentucky; Delmarva Growout, Maryland; Dillon Growout, South Carolina; Draper Valley Ranch, Washington; Fredericksburg Growout, Pennsylvania; Nashville Breeders, Tennessee; Hurlock Feed Mill, Maryland; Nashville Feed Mill, Tennessee; and Murfreesboro Hatchery, Tennessee; and Santa Rosa Hatchery, California.

Award of Merit: Twelve facilities earned the Award of Merit. They include food-producing plants in Petaluma, California; Bridgewater, Virginia; DeFuniak Springs, Florida; Rockingham, North Carolina; the company’s Innovation Center in Salisbury, Maryland; hatchery operations in Halifax, North Carolina; Forsyth Georgia; and Salisbury, Maryland; the following support activities Candor Growout, North Carolina; Delmarva North Growout, Delaware; Westover Research Farm Maryland; Western North Carolina Breeders.  

About the Joint Industry Safety and Health Council
The Joint Industry Safety and Health Council comprises members from the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, National Chicken Council and National Turkey Federation. Combined, these three organizations represent companies that produce 95 percent of the nation’s poultry products and employ more 350,000 workers.

About Perdue Farms
We’re a fourth-generation, family-owned, U.S. food and agriculture company. Through our belief in responsible food and agriculture, we are empowering consumers, customers, and farmers through trusted choices in products and services. Perdue Foods consists of a premium protein portfolio, including our flagship PERDUE® brand, Niman Ranch®, Coleman Natural®, and Yummy®, as well as our pet brands, Spot Farms® and Full Moon®, and is available through various channels including retail, foodservice, club stores and our direct-to-consumer website, PerdueFarms.com. Perdue AgriBusiness  is a leading merchandiser, processor, and exporter of agricultural products and the largest U.S. manufacturer of specialty, organic, and non-GMO oils. It also ranks as one of the largest suppliers of organic feed ingredients in the world. Now in our company’s second century, we never use drugs for growth promotion in raising poultry and livestock, and we are actively advancing our animal welfare programs. Our brands are leaders in no-antibiotics-ever and in USDA-certified organic proteins.  Learn more at Corporate.PerdueFarms.com.

Tom Ryan
Perdue Farms
corpcomm@perdue.com