Historic photos and mementos mark the passage of time and tell the stories of the individuals pursuing a vision. Seaboard Foods' history is rooted in Guymon, Okla., along with communities throughout five states. The vision of being a leading food company became a reality when the processing plant opened. Since Seaboard Foods' inception, milestones in both farm operations and the processing plant continue to tick by—wholesome pork distributed to families around the world in a capacity never experienced before— and history continues to be made by the company's valued employees.
Seaboard Foods' milestones shape pork production:
Ranking as the 2nd largest pork producer and the third largest processing plant, Seaboard Foods, or Seaboard Farms between 1990 and 2005, has a short, but eventful, history complete with milestones that have shaped pork production.
-
Implemented in 2002, Seaboard Foods became the first pork producer to use needless injection
-
In 1997, two short years after opening, the processing plant was operating at full capacity
-
In 2019, customers in 35 countries purchased 1.33 billion pounds of delicious pork produced in the processing plant
This photo is from the 1995-1996 Annual Report from Seaboard Corporation, the parent company of Seaboard Foods. It discusses how Seaboard Corporation mirrored the integrated system model they used in their previous poultry business to pork. There were not many integrated pork production companies during this time, so Seaboard Foods (Seaboard Farms at that time) revolutionized the system. It mentions Seaboard Farms wants to, “bring pork to the southwestern and export markets."
Treasures:
Have you ever held on to something because it is so special, and you remember where you were when you received this treasure? These time-honored mementos are instilled in the history of Seaboard Foods.
This knife is hanging in an office in the processing plant. It symbolizes the first hog killed in the processing plant on December 6, 1995.
The pig sculpture pictured and currently
sitting outside the processing plant public entrance was a gift from the City of Guymon. It was sculpted by Jim Powers, an artist of scrap metal. It was presented during the grand opening ceremony on January 6, 1996.
This gold shovel, which is one of many Guymon Chamber of Commerce holds, is dated December 17, 1992 and represents breaking ground and planting roots in Guymon, Okla.
Historical Photos and Documents:
Take a stroll back in history and review a few images from Seaboard Foods' inception.
This photo is from the ribbon cutting ceremony on January 6, 1996
This is a photo of key players in Seaboard Farms' development was taken at the plant opening ceremony in January 1996
From the left*: Mark Campbell, Randy Fehlberg, plant superintendent, Ed Smith, Guymon Chamber of Commerce president, Cal Stolle, VP controller, Rick Hoffman, CEO, Rod Brenneman, VP live operations, Roy Ehly, Guymon Chamber of Commerce director, Steve Schmidt, human resources manager.
*The positions of the individuals listed were dated in 1996.
History in the making:
Click here if you cannot see the video above.
These photos and mementos mark the foundation of a leading food company, and current employees share the responsibility to continue the legacy. Today’s smiling photos, video footage and milestones met, like the ones featured in this video, will be placed in the memory books for future generations.
Click here if you cannot view the video above.
Seaboard Foods' parent company Seaboard Corporation celebrated their centennial in 2018. To commemorate the anniversary, Seaboard Foods employees described countless reasons they are proud to work for the company. These videos outline the company's culture and priorities today, and these people, along with the 5,000+ others, are contributors to Seaboard Foods' success in being a leading food company, just like Seaboard Corporation wanted a quarter century ago. Every year of service, employee celebration and satisfied customer marks another piece of history for Seaboard Foods.
