Delmarva Poultry Industry, Inc. Recognizes Four Mountaire Growers

Summer 2010
Delmarva Poultry Industry, Inc.
Recognizes Four Mountaire Growers
for Their Achievements
Delmarva Poultry Industry, Inc. (DPI), the trade association for the
Delmarva Peninsula’s chicken industry, held its 54th annual Booster
Banquet on April 14th in Salisbury, Maryland and recognized 15 outstanding
poultry growers and three individuals for their work on behalf of the
chicken industry.
The J. Frank Gordy, Sr. Delmarva Distinguished Citizen Award, DPI’s
highest honor, was presented to our own Roger D. Marino, a long-time DPI
volunteer and past president. (feature on page 4)
Additionally, DPI recognized 15 outstanding poultry producers, 4 of
whom were growers of the year for Mountaire of Delmarva & Delaware.
The recognition by DPI for their outstanding efforts is extremely well
deserved, as these individuals stood out as top growers not only to us at
Mountaire, but across the Delmarva Peninsula, home to more than 1,800
poultry growers…full story continued on page 4.
QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER
1
3
9
IN THE NEWS
WMDT/Mountaire Future
Env. Stars
Using the environment to overcome
adversity
A Champ is Crowned!
I naugural Chickin’ Pickin’
Championship a huge success
Gospel Talent Search
eautiful voices & wonderful
B
volunteers lead to a memorable
event
BY LOCATION
6 Service Awards...
- Selbyville, DE
- Lumberbridge, NC
- Siler City, NC
- Candor, NC
- Millsboro, DE
11Management
Development Program
Crystal Mitchell & Mathew
Neal shine in NC!
12 Family Day in Arkansas
Employees, family and friends
enjoy a night at the ballpark
…and much more!
Cover photo(s):
Delaware Gov. Jack Markell speaking
at the April 14 DPI Banquet in
Salisbury, MD.
PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER
Issue 69
In The News
WMDT/MOUNTAIRE Environmental Star of the Month Awards
WMDT-TV, an ABC affiliate, and Mountaire are proud to announce our most recent Environmental & Future Environmental Star Award Winners
March ’10 – Environmental Star
Mrs. Erika Phillips – Teacher
Worcester Prep., Berlin, MD
Teaching the leaders of tomorrow the benefits of Global Water
Conservation efforts; that is just one principle Erika Phillips
is trying to instill in her 5th grade students at Worcester Prep.
Beginning last spring, Erika started enrolling her 5th grade
computer lab classes in the NAIS Challenge 20/20. This internet-based program partners children from around the world
in teams to tackle global problems at a local level. In 2009,
her students, paired with students in Hollywood, CA, were
assigned the environmental topic of water deficit. Throughout
the ’09 spring semester the (2) schools researched the issue of
Earth’s limited water supply. Communicating through wikis,
blogs, and video conferences, the two classes shared what it is
like growing up in different parts of the country.
Taking what they learned, the class developed various
educational aides to promote the water deficit topic and educate others on how they can help reduce water usage, and in
turn save energy. All students took home a checklist and went
into action to ensure they were practicing efficient water usage
inside their own homes. Checking all fixtures for leaks, taking
shorter showers, watering the lawn in the morning or evening
to reduce water loss to evaporation; were just a few of the
items the youngsters tackled around the home. The class even
developed a public service announcement video in order to
share their knowledge with others.
April ’10 – Environmental Star
Peninsula Regional Medical Center
Salisbury, MD
WMDT &
Mountaire Farms
proudly presented
Peninsula Regional Medical
Center with the
WMDT/Mountaire Environmental Star of the
Month Award on
Thursday, April
22nd in honor of the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day. Although
the distinction may have been
bestowed on the historic date,
the journey started months ago
when the Medical Center began
stepping up their effort to “go
green”. With a goal of creating
an environmentally friendly
work place, hospital execs formed
“The Green Team”. A group comprised of Peninsula Regional employees whose purpose is to identify and
implement eco-friendly practices geared towards lessening the
environmental impact of the entire facility.
Since July of ‘09 several new programs and structural
renovations have placed PRMC among the top eco-friendly
organizations on the Delmarva Peninsula. One such initiative
is an “e-waste” recycling program which allows virtually all
electronics (computers, hard drives, electronic controls, etc.)
to be completely recycled instead of heading for the landfill.
“E-Waste”, is not the only landfill saver Peninsula Regional
has employed. During the renovation of the Avery W. Hall
Educational Center, Peninsula Regional was able to recycle
all of the old carpet being replaced throughout the 2nd floor of
the building. In all, 6,831 square feet of old carpet was 100%
recycled and used as the backing for new carpet.
Even the new parking lot was engineered with the environment in mind. Instead of regular concrete pavement, the
lot was constructed with Drain-Crete, a pervious concrete mix
that allows rain to flow through it and into the soil, replenishing ground water and eliminating runoff into local watersheds.
March ’10 – Future Environmental Star
Clara Fitzgerald – St. Peter & Paul H.S.
Easton, MD
Out of tragedy, a young star is born…
It’s a great day to be alive, and don’t you forget it. Words
one local girl has taken to heart and used as inspiration to
carry on her brothers
legacy. Seventeen year
old Clara Fitzgerald, a
senior at Saints Peter
& Paul High in Easton,
MD, has survived and
grown out of family
tragedy. Two years
ago young Clara narrowly escaped a house
fire which claimed
the lives of her older
brother Kennedy, his fiancé, and her sister Margaret. Since
then Clara, who followed her brothers every move as a child,
has both literally and figuratively followed in his foot steps
down the environmental path.
“When we were younger I would follow my brother everywhere. He used to enjoy walking the shoreline around our home
taking in nature and cleaning up debris, and I was always two
steps behind him doing everything he did” – says Clara
Kennedy, a junior at the University of Maryland at the time
of his passing, loved the Chesapeake Bay, a fact not lost on Clara
and one of the factors driving her environmental endeavors. As a
freshman, Clara re-started the schools Ecology Club and initiated the schools current recycling program, where she personally
picks up the schools recyclables and delivers them to the proper
receptacles. She’s also into oyster farming & aquaculture on the
Miles River, composting, and working with the Chesapeake Bay
Foundation on local initiatives. Clara’s assisted the Foundation
in planting bay grasses as well as native trees and shrubs. For the
past two years she’s also rounded up family and friends for the
Pick up or Shut up outing in which they probe area shorelines,
cleaning up trash and other unnatural debris from local waterways. An activity she learned from watching Kennedy.
Last school year Clara was the driving force behind the
Ecology Clubs creation of Go Green re-usable bags, which
they sold as a fundraiser. These unique bags feature artwork
created by her late sister Margaret, a tree, which Clara fondly
refers to as the Tree of Life and a quote from her brother, “It’s
a great day to be alive, and don’t you forget it.” During the
drive the Club was able to raise $1,500, which was donated
to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation in the name of Kennedy
Michael Fitzgerald, for use in the Shoreline Restructuring
program. To many, the Go Green bags have become a useful
tool in daily life, to Clara, they serve as much more, a tribute
to those she loved, who would certainly be proud of the path
their young sister is on.
May ’10 – Future Environmental Star(s)
Debbi Williamson – Teacher at The
Benedictine School, Ridgely, MD
For the past seven years Debbi has been using Mother Nature
as a teaching aid and developmental tool for her students at
The Benedictine School, an education center for individuals
age 5 to 21 with disabilities such as mental retardation, multiple handicaps and autism. A Pathway to Victory in Learning
and Living… that is the school creed and a true reflection of
how Debbi leads her students. Using the environment as her
path, she continues to light up the lives of her children by instilling a Go Green attitude as they charge towards the victory
of learning and living.
Since 2002 Debbie has spear-headed efforts to grow trees
and bay grasses at The Benedictine School as part of an In
the Class program which involves the Maryland Department
of Natural Resources. Her classes grow celery and redhead
grasses on campus, which later get replanted in pre-determined areas by DNR. She tasked her students with monitoring PH levels and Nitrite levels of the tanks containing the
grasses as well as taking growth measurements and recording the information on a website each week. Once these bay
grasses are ready, the students are responsible for cutting them
and replanting them in the proper area. Her students are also
involved in planting trees around the beautiful Benedictine
campus. Using funds obtained through grants from the
Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Debbi and her students have
been able to purchase and plant over 331 trees and shrubs
around campus. These efforts have lead to The Benedictine
School receiving the “PLANT” award, a state recognition,
each year since 2003.
Aside from the planting of trees and grasses, The Benedictine School recycles everything from paper to plastic in their
effort to have a positive influence on our local environment.
“These programs have benefitted both the students and
myself… in slow steady steps we continue to make progress” –
Ms. Debbi Williamson of The Benedictine School
Page 1
’09-’10 Scholar Athlete Program Wraps Up
WBOC-TV & Mountaire recognized the final 4 recipients of this years Scholar Athlete program. With honorees
for each month from September through June, the 2nd year program established itself as a prestigious honor
on the Delmarva Peninsula. The winners of the Mountaire/WBOC $1,000 scholarships from the program will
be revealed in the fall issue.
March ’10 – Bradley Janson
Stephen Decatur H.S., Berlin, MD
Bradley holds a 4.8 GPA, All-Bayside
Honors on the soccer field and is in
possession of the Stephen Decatur
400 meter women’s track record at
59.3 seconds. Athletically, Bradley
is an accomplished 4 year varsity
letterwomen in soccer, indoor and
outdoor track. Academically she ranks
in the top 5 percent of her graduating
class. She is a member of the National Honor Society and has
earned the state Minds in Motion Scholar Athlete award each
year of high school. Next fall Bradley opens the next chapter
in her academic life when she begins classes at Salisbury
University where she plans on majoring in Biology and
working towards a career in the medical field.
April ’10 – Travis Prunty
James M. Bennett H.S., Salisbury, MD
A young man of many talents; a
description agreed upon by coaches,
teachers and peers when talking about
Travis. His impressive high school
resume includes lettering in (3) varsity
sports, four (4) years on the school
honor roll, singing for the schools
concert choir as well as starting his
own band, “Deleted by the Artist”, for
which he is the lead singer.
On the field Travis is the starting defensive tackle and
center on the varsity football team and has been named to the
Bayside All-Conference team the past two seasons and the
team captain during his senior year. He’s also been a member
of the Clippers wrestling and lacrosse teams.
In the classroom and in his community Travis has
demonstrated his great aptitude for learning and high moral
character. He maintains a 3.7 GPA all while serving time as a
math tutor for his school, as a Parishioner at his church, and a
youth football coach at the Salvation Army. And if that weren’t
enough, Travis finds time to volunteer in the homeless kitchen
at the Joseph House and the homeless shelter at St. Francis De
Sales, making him a true savior to those in need.
May ’10 – Kaci Coveleski
Cape Henlopen H.S., Lewes, DE
On the field Kaci has been honored as a 1st team allconference and all-state player for both field hockey and
lacrosse, helping bring home a state lacrosse championship in
Page 2
her junior year. She’s a force in the pool as well, where she
has brought home four consecutive conference championships.
The class president since her freshman year, a member
of the St. Edmunds Church Youth Group, Secretary for
the Key Club, Peer Counseling Leader; the list of personal
commitments & accomplishments goes on and on. Yet
through it all Kaci has
maintained a 4.0 GPA,
which ranks 5th in
her graduating class.
She credits good time
management skills and
strong family support for
her success. This fall
she plans on taking her
passion for field hockey
to the college level at
Northeastern University
and pursuing a career in
medicine.
June ’10 – Jake Haley
Queen Anne’s County H.S.,
Centreville, MD
Jake Haley is as gifted as
they come on the lacrosse
field. Since his sophomore
year he has been piling
up one prestigious honor
after another. He’s been
named to the Maryland
Free State Team, named a
Nike Blue Chip selection,
played in the Under Armor
AA Lacrosse Underclassmen Game, and is listed by Inside
Lacrosse Magazine as a Top 50 lacrosse prospect nationally.
Aside from two straight MVP seasons as a lacrosse goalie,
Jake is also a two year captain on the football team and has
earned honors as an All-Conference Safety. He holds the state
record for longest interception return for a touchdown, 108
yards, and averaged 15 yards a carry as a running back.
Jake’s accolades on the field may get all the headlines, but
his coach’s & teacher’s are adamant in reminding everyone
of his talents in the classroom. He carries a 4.0 GPA and has
been taking honors and advanced placement classes since
middle school. This year he’s even undertaken an Intro to
Business course load at Chesapeake College. He’s a member
of the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) and the
National Honor Society, and even holds down a spot on the
schools It’s Academic Team.
Mountaire Crowns First Chickin’ Pickin’ Champion
The 7th Annual Pork in the Park Festival, held
April 16-18 at Winter Place Park in Salisbury, MD,
featured many wonderful sights and sounds for the
tens of thousands in attendance. Carnival rides,
live music and delicious BBQ once again set the
tone for special weekend, but one event left an
indelible mark on an already popular affair. Taking
place Saturday, April 17th, the Inaugural Mountaire
Chickin’ Pickin’ National Championship drew large
audiences and received rave reviews from festival patrons and Pork in
the Park organizers for its unique concept and layout.
Beginning at noon, 21 contestants picked and shredded oven roasted
Mountaire chickens in an effort to be crowned Chickin’ Pickin’ Champ
and claim the grand prize of $500 cash and an authentic Chickin’ Pickin’
Belt Buckle.
The contest
featured four
preliminary
rounds
consisting of
five competitors
each. Each
competitor had
five minutes to
pick and shred
as much meat
from oven roasted birds as possible. At rounds end, the picked meat was
weighed and the competitor with the highest total advanced to the final
round.
The 21 contestants came from all over Delmarva and represented
people of all ages and races, some of whom entered the competition in
the weeks leading up to the challenge, while others were lucky enough
to register the day of the event. The action was fast and furious from
the start, as hundreds of onlookers cheered on eventual round 1 winner
Nicole Sherry to a stunning victory. Sherry, the head groundskeeper
for the Baltimore Orioles, picked and shredded 6 lbs, 4 oz. of meat to
become the first finalist.
In round 2 the competition kicked up a notch with Steve
Maguschak setting the standard at 8 lbs, 4 oz. Maguschak, the 25
year old Salisbury native, who pre-registered for the event, claimed his
love for chicken would lead him to victory.
Rounds 3 and 4 couldn’t top the mark set by Maguschak, but
did feature some friendly trash talking amongst fellow competitors.
Young Korey Hearn won round 3 with a weight of 6 lbs, 10oz, and
Joe Cuomo stepped it up to win the final preliminary round with a
weight of 7 lbs, 8 oz.
The Championship round pitted Sherry, Maguschak and Cuomo
against one another
in a fight to the
finish to earn the
title of Mountaire
Chickin’ Pickin’
Champion. From
the outset it was
clear all finalists had
learned something
from the earlier
rounds. Techniques had changed and each competitor
could be seen flying through chickens, shredding
their way towards the finish line. When the final
buzzer sounded each finalist was on their 4th ‘bird
with meat trays overflowing. Nicole Sherry’s effort
was the first on the scale, topping out at 7 lbs. 10oz,
good enough for 3rd place and a bronze belt buckle.
Joe Cuomo, who was talked into entering by his
mother the day of the event, weighed in at 8 lbs, 10oz,
which secured 2nd place and a silver belt buckle. Steve Maguschak,
the man who
guaranteed victory
on his registration
form and in a followup phone call, made
good on his promise,
weighing in at a
whopping 9 lbs, 14oz;
a contest record good
enough for 1st place.
Mountaire Unveils
Chickin’ Pickin’
BBQ Sauce
The Finger Lickin’ Chickin’ Pickin’ BBQ Sauce was unveiled at
the Inaugural Chickin’ Pickin’ Championship held on April 17th
@ Pork in the Park in Salisbury. This delicious sauce is a Georgia House Recipe and was established to help raise money for
our Thanksgiving for Thousands program. To date bottles have
been sold at our various community events, as well as at our
Millsboro and Selbyville locations. If you’d like to purchase a
bottle visit any Georgia House Restaurant or ask your Mountaire representative how you can purchase a bottle!
I LOVE the Mountaire Chickin’ Pickin’ BBQ Sauce. It is so sweet and
tangy I could eat it straight from the bottle! And I can’t tell you when I
have had BBQ sauce that makes me drool over chicken like this sauce
does!!! I highly recommend it!
—Boni J. Rychener, Programmer/Analyst, Mountaire Farms Delaware
Page 3
Mountaire Farms of Delaware Grower(s) of the Year
Delmarva Poultry Industry, Inc. Recognizes Four
Mountaire Growers for Their Achievements
(Continued from front cover)
Mary and Robert Bryan,
Laurel, Delaware
Congratulations to Mary
Bryan Farm for being selected
as Mountaire’s Grower of the
Year - Delaware Division.
Robert and Mary Bryan have
been in the poultry business
for 27 years. One only
needs to look at their farm’s
appearance to understand the
detail they include in their
operation. Recently they were
also the recipients of “First
Place” in the Environmental
Stewardship Award due to
this detail. Does this happen by accident? Indeed not. They have
the support and help of their son and daughter-in-law, Wade and his
wife, Bobbie Bryan, and their other son, Tyler Bryan. You may think
the Bryan’s have enough on their plate with the chickens, but they
also manage to operate school bus routes as well. Again hat’s off to
the Bryan’s for a job well done.
Randy and Marcia Spence, Dover, Delaware
Four Arrows, Yellow Money, and Under His Wings Farms:
Congratulations to Randy and Marcia Spence for being chosen as
Mountaire’s Grower of the Year - Delaware Division. Randy has
been self-employed since he was 17 years old in the construction
business. In fact, Randy built his first residential house when he
was 18 years old. Randy and Marcia built their first two poultry
houses in 2005 and found out they loved the business. Soon after
they built two more, for some that would have been enough, but
not the Spence’s they followed up with yet two more for a total of
six houses. Now you might think this seems like a lot of work, well
yeah there’s no getting around
that. Randy and Marcia have
the support and help of their
four children - Nathan, Rachel,
Leona, and Randy Jr. or RJ
which help with the workload.
Randy stated, “It’s great. You
wake up with your family
and make your living in your
backyard - what could be
better than that?” Again hat’s
off to the Spence’s for a job
well done.
J. Frank Gordy, Sr., Delmarva Distinguished Citizen Award
Presented by Delmarva Poultry Industry, Inc to
Roger Marino
April 14, 2010
At each Booster Banquet since 1956, DPI has recognized a person who has served the poultry industry
and the community with distinction.
Criteria considered when selecting the recipient of the J. Frank Gordy, Sr. Delmarva Distinguished Citizen Award include:
• membership in DPI and other poultry organizations
• contribution of time and services to Delmarva’s poultry industry, and
• participation in civic and other community activities
This year’s recipient easily met these three criteria.
Roger has worked in Delmarva’s chicken industry for nearly 20 years and almost since his arrival he has been active in DPI. He is a
past president and has been on the DPI board of directors since 1997. He has participated in a wide range of DPI activities because of
his desire to serve the chicken industry and our organization. No matter what the issue, he offers his insight and thoughts and we as
an organization are better off because of his non-shy manner.
Beyond his service to DPI, Roger has served with distinction at a national level in the chicken industry. He served as a member of the U.S.
Poultry & Egg Association Board of Directors and has been active with the National Chicken Council’s Communications Committee.
While here at Mountaire, he has helped create outstanding community- based projects to improve the perception and reality of the
chicken industry, not just our company. He is probably more visible on the two local television stations than anybody else in our
industry and the goodwill his programs generate spread to all sectors of Delmarva’s chicken industry.
It’s been said the DPI Awards Committee had a very easy time selecting Roger as the recipient of the J. Frank Gordy, Sr. Delmarva
Distinguished Citizen Award…Congratulations Roger!
Page 4
Mountaire Farms of Delmarva Grower(s)
of the Year:
Ralph Wilson, Salisbury, Maryland
JOAN WILSON FARM - Ralph Wilson was selected as “2010
Grower of the Year” for the Delmarva Division. Ralph is no
stranger to growing chickens, as he has grown chickens for 49
years with 4 different companies. Ralph grows 36,500 birds in 3
tunnel houses with controllers. He has one farm assistant to help
him while he is away from the farm servicing his few customers for
whom he still crusts-out close to home. Ralph’s keen eye for detail
and adaptability to new technology and change has made him a
consistently good grower
Drivers Safety Banquet – 3/13/2010
Sussex Pines Country Club
Drivers of the Month Awards – Selbyville Complex
Lori and Chip Croswell, Marion Station, Maryland
Chip & Lori Croswell, became involved in growing chickens as
children when their family moved to the farm in 1976. Their parents
have since passed away but together the brother and sister team have
kept the family farm going, making many changes allowing for top
performance
along the way.
They are quick
to say that they
love the farm
and thank God
for it. They
enjoy cutting
grass, going
to church and
spending time
with their family.
We are simply
delighted to have
the Croswell’s
growing with
Mountaire.
Driver’s and supervisor’s names left to right: Jason McCabe,
John Johnson, David Nuse, Garry Tucker, Eugene Mumford,
Mike Lowe, Marcus Fontaine, Deandra Ballard, Kenneth
Owens,Victor Daniels, Wayne Goslee, Jeremy Nelson, Runcie
Dale, Wayne Hardee.
2009
Driver of
the Year:
Deandra
Ballard
Mountaire Serviceman of the Year – Candor, NC
Derek Beane grew up on a three house poultry farm in northern Moore County. He attended NC State University
and graduated with a BS in Poultry Science in 2005. He is engaged to be married on November 13 to Tricia Cassell. He
has worked with Mountaire Farms as a Flock Supervisor for the past three years. He attributes his success to being
raised on a farm, educated at NCSU, good support staff and a route of hard working growers. Derek feels blessed to
be working for a good company that continues to grow. He looks forward to many more years of working hard to be
successful for himself and the growers.
Barry Thompson began his tenure with Mountaire Farms in 1997. Barry is a hands on leader who makes every effort
to show his growers how to improve and stay on top of the competition. He is a good example of where hard work and
dependable service can take you. Barry and wife, Kim have 3 daughters, Ariel, Adrian and Arika. They are all involved in
community and church activities. The family especially enjoys camping.
John Hamilton came to Mountaire in 1998. John is an experienced flock supervisor with exceptional planning and
organizational skills. He is a gifted motivator and uses these talents to inspire and encourage his growers. John is committed to producing a quality bird in the field and strives to provide an example of high work ethics, good communication
and team work. John and wife, Lynn, have a daughter and two grandchildren. John designed and built their present home.
He enjoys woodworking, fishing and golf.
Page 5
Selbyville
S E RV I C E
5 Years
AWA R D S
15 Years
Cornelius Henry – DS Dry Cooler
Jose Quiones – NS Tray Pack
Esteban Hernandez Mejia – Sanitation
Maribel Roque Calderon – DS Cut-Up
Keva Handy – DS Cone Debone
Kimberly Harris – Sales
Migdalia Rivas – NS Cut-up
Moo Sang Kim – NS QA
Josephine Olvera – DS Tray Pack
. Glyines Drummond
DS Cut-up
Thanh Huynh
NS Cut-up
10 Years
Sherwood Ballard
Sanitation
Eileese Roster Baptiste
DS Packing
Manuel Gonzalez
DS FP Maint.
20 Years
Harold Strouth
1st Shift Panel/Pellet operator
25 Years
Ralph Baker (no photo available)
Management
Raquel Leija (no photo available)
DS Cone Debone
Robert Meals
Live Haul
Terry Sinclair
Medical
Karla Rodriguez
NS Giblet
Page 6
Deanna was
recently promoted to Field
Vaccination
Manager at
the Millsboro
Complex.
Deanna has
been with
the company for 28 years, first with
Townsends and then through the
acquisition with Mountaire. Deanna is
responsible for seeing that 350 farms are
properly vaccinated each flock. She is
well prepared for her new role and we
know she will do her job well.
Deanna lives in Millsboro and enjoys
camping in her spare time.
________________________________
Congratulations
Greg Pusey
Edwin Wilkerson
DS Paws
Crystal Scarborough
Security
Congratulations
Deanna West
Arzie Dennis
Live Haul
30 Plus Years
Annette Predeaux
40 years – DS Evisc.
Janice Bratten
30 years – Purchasing
We want to
welcome Greg
Pusey to the
Vaccination
Department
in his new role
as Vaccination
Helper.
Greg has been
with Mountaire for 5 years. He previously worked in the Grain Department
for 3 years and at the Feed Mill for 2
years. Greg has been an outstanding
employee and I am sure both departments were sorry to see him go.
Greg lives in Gumboro and enjoys
spending time with his family.
S E RV I C E
Lumber Bridge
Siler City
Vicente Rebollar
Cone Debone
5 Years
Marshall Johnson – Dress Haul Driver
Gary McBride – Live Haul Driver
James Gagnon – Live Haul Driver
Peggy Locklear
Evisceration Supervisor
Everlydis Quinones
Thigh Debone
Candor
Dana Strickland White
Maintenance Assistant
10 Years
Beth Hursey
Administrative Assistant
20 Years
Noe Hernandez
Whole Leg Debone
Supervisor
25 Years
Mary Bethea
Evisceration
Michael Hammonds
Maintenance Mechanic
Patrick McCormick
Maintenance Mechanic
Everett Johnson
NC Hatchery Manager
15 Years
Samuel Lesmes
Cone Debone
Roberto Aguilar
Evisceration
Mark Matthews – Chick Delivery Driver
Juan Morales
Box Room
Joan Chavis
Purchasing
Cristobal Lopez
Waste Water Employee
5 Years
10 Years
10 Years
Tessa Chavis
Purchasing
AWA R D S
“I’ll Take That
Jumbo-Sized”
North Carolina’s Processing Paw Department
expanded its operation on Monday, May 17,
2010 creating thirty (30) additional positions
within the department.
The demand for jumbo paws has increased
and the market for jumbo paws is “booming”!
The expansion gives us the opportunity to
produce and provide our customers with this
high demand product.
North Carolina Conducting
Direct Deposit Campaign
T
o continue improving the services provided to all our employees; Mountaire Farms
North Carolina has teamed up with BB&T, Bragg Mutual and the Latino Credit Union
to assist in enrolling all current employees into Direct Deposit by December 31, 2010.
Direct Deposit is a free service and offers employees many benefits, such as the
convenience of having their payroll checks deposited
directly into their accounts. This also eliminates issues
with lost, stolen or damaged checks; eliminates check
cashing fees.
We encourage all employees who are not currently
enrolled to stop by the kiosks that will be at the plant
and take advantage of the promotions being offered by
all three banks. They are offering $10.00 credit for all
new accounts.
Page 7
S E RV I C E
AWA R D S
Millsboro
5 Years
15 Years
20 Years
Irma Perez-Perez – Evis D/S
Letzia Nieves-Robles – Leg Debone D/S
Rosaura Garza – Jumbo P/W D/S
Franklin Gilliam – WPL D/S
Virginia Sanchez – Jumbo P/W N/S
Celestino Cruz – Roasters N/S
Edgar Miller – Live Op Management
Sandra Orozco – Leg Debone D/S
Nancy Cherestal – WPL D/S
Maria Campos – Traypack N/S
Jeremiah Griffith – Feed Mill Dispatch
Ida Bratten – Vaccinating
Maurice Wilhere – Security
Jose Meza Lares – Maint. 2nd
Laqueen Johnson – Q.A. D/S
Glorielex Vasquez DelValle – Leg Debone D/S
Gilberto Marquez Torres – Debone N/S
Amaury Diaz Aquino – Thigh Debone N/S
Santos Roblero-Perez – Rehang N/S
Garrett Simmons – Servicemen
Virgil Chandler – Feed mill Maintenance
Frank Wheatley
MIS
Elsa Culp
Traypack D/S
Raldie Grant
Paws D/S
Sharon Mann
Cut-up D/S
Jerman Morales
Rehang D/S
Jeffrey Walther
Plant Ops
10 Years
Mario Lopez
Debone N/S
Lucinda Santos
WPL D/S
Lee Sproull
Live Op Management
Nicasia Chavez-Reyes
Evis N/S
Hans Saar
Wetcooler N/S
William Whaley
Maintenance 1st
Kristin Fowler (no photo available)
Accounting
Page 8
Obney Derilus
Debone D/S
25 Years
Marion “Woody” Jackson
Live Op Management
Darlene Smith
Housekeeping D/S
Steve Brittingham
Grow Out Manager
30 PLUS Years
Timothy Hall
Chick Delivery
Maria Cruz-Perez
Debone D/S
Karen Mulstay
General Manager
Donald O’neal
35 yrs – Boiler
T
12th Annual Mountaire Gospel †alent Search
he 12th Annual Mountaire Gospel Talent Search was held
at the A.D Lewis Auditorium at the Robeson Community
College in Lumberton, NC from April 29th through May 1st,
2010. This year’s event featured over 75 participants from over
40 different churches - and was attended by over 600 people each
of the three nights of the competition!
It was a wonderful opportunity that allowed all present to unite in
fellowship and praise our Lord in song. This year we had participants
from the coasts of Moorehead City to the mountains in Boone, North
Carolina! We also had tremendous participation from Robeson,
Cumberland, Hoke, Scotland, Harnett and Moore Counties!
Through this year’s event Mountaire contributed $12,350.00
in prize money for local community churches to further their
ministries and music programs.
This is the 12th consecutive year that the Mountaire Gospel
Talent Search has been held, and each year our contestants and
guests comment on what a great outlet this event provides for
churches of all denominations to get together and enjoy three
days of worship and ministry.
Winners from the 12th Annual
Mountaire Gospel Talent Search
Adult Soloist
1st Place– Ladonna Monique – Breath of Life Ministries –
$1,250.00
Youth Soloist
1st Place– Morgan Wallace – Chesterfield Community Church
$1,250.00
Duos, Trios & Quartets
1st Place – Christine Jumalon & Huntre Coleman - Northwood
Temple – $1,250.00
Praise & Worship Teams
1st Place– Music Ministry – Capilla Cristo Redentor – $1,250.00
Choirs
1st Place – SRCC
Choir – South River
Community Church –
$1,250.00
Drama Teams
1st Place – Rhyne
Memorial Praise
Dancers – Rhyne
Memorial UMC – $500.00
Mountaire Volunteers Do It Again!!!
A
s soon as we began planning for
this year’s Gospel Talent Search,
the Mountaire Volunteers stepped up
to the plate to ensure that this year’s
event was a huge success!
All of our guests and contestants
had nothing but praise for the
courteousness and professionalism of
our staff. We could not be
prouder of all of you!
We would like to take this
opportunity to thank all of our
volunteers for their dedication
and hard work. This year’s
volunteers were:
Carol Collins – Accounting
Anita Whitted – Human
Resources
Priscilla Smith – Human Resources
Bobbie Winningham – Medical
Christine Flores - Accounting and daughter Chalene
Cheryl Tatum – Plant Administration and daughter Tabatha
Chad Hodgin – Live Haul
Debbie Pier – Accounting
Danny Garcia – Processing
Eliana Perez – Human Resources
Janine Medina – Plant Administration
Amy J. Smith - Transportation and son Jackson
Kathy Douglas - Accounting
Leslie McLaughlin – Human Resources and daughter Latisha
Margie Reneau – Accounting
Rose McDougald – Live Haul
Raul Camacho – Plant Systems
Susan McKeithan – Freezer Operation
William Culver – Human Resources
Page 9
Mountaire Recognized as
Industry of the Year 2010 – Candor, NC
M
ountaire Farms,
Candor, was
recognized as Industry
of the Year 2010 by the
Montgomery County
Chamber of Commerce.
Jeff Beavers, Director Live
Operations and Lonnie
English, Candor Feed Mill
Manager accepted the
award.
Mountaire Farms began
construction of a feed mill
in Montgomery County
in 1997. Full production
began at the Candor facility
in the spring of 2000 with
35 employees. The initial
investment for the project
was $14.5 million. In 2005
and additional investment of
$7 million was made to expand the facility adding a second load out
for trucks and a 750,000 bushel storage silo bringing total storage
capacity to 1.5 million bushels.
At present the Candor operation supports a tractor-trailer
delivery fleet of 28, employing 50 drivers. The production of
feed employs 26. Live operations, which supports 332 contract
farms, totaling 1203 houses of poultry, maintains an additional
36 employees for a total of 112 based at the Candor plant. More
than 18,000 tons of feed are produced and delivered to nourish
22 million birds each week in the field in North Carolina. The
processing operation is in Lumber Bridge where 2.5 million birds
are delivered every week to supply the meat demands of customers.
The Candor facility
is only one part of the
Mountaire family. Prime
Quality Feeds and the
corporate headquarters
are based in Arkansas.
Two complexes are based
in Delaware also for the
production of broilers.
Mountaire is the 6th largest
poultry producer in the
nation and ranks #1 in live
production numbers.
Mountaire supports
the community in using
local vendors for supplies,
repairs and utilities. Also,
close contact is kept
with ACWR concerning
trains and rail conditions.
Working with town, county
and state officials, Mountaire maintains a safe environment for all
its community, employees and growers by following all regulations
and mandates.
Mountaire employees are recognized for achievements in
producing quality work in a safe environment.
Special emphasis is put on living by the company creed which
states:
To be honest and fair with everyone including customers,
suppliers, community neighbors and each other.
To provide an environment dedicated to personal and
corporate growth.
To be good stewards of all the assets God has entrusted to us.
Golden Feather Award
Statesville, NC
The Golden Feather Award goes out to one (1) Pullet and one (1) Hen Farm
each Quarter that meets or exceeds Mountaire’s Biosecurity
Standard Operating Procedures.
Matthew Guyer was selected
as the 2nd Quarter Statesville
Golden Feather Hen Grower
Award winner.
Page 10
Gale Smith was selected as
the 2nd Quarter Statesville
Golden Feather Pullet Grower
Award winner.
N orth
C arolina ’ s
STEPS TO AVOID CATASTROPIC
SUMMER BIRD LOSSES!
Management
T
Development Program
W
e have made it a priority to focus our 2010 recruitment
efforts on interviewing; selecting and hiring Management
Trainee’s to participate in our Management Development
Program. The benefit of utilizing this program is that we have
the ability to develop,
grow and train our future
Mountaire and Industry
Leaders. This program
provides the Trainee with
thorough exposure to
all areas of the business
and provides excellent
learning opportunities
for the Trainee and our
Management Team.
Our Trainees are given
assignment schedules,
along with recommended
learning objectives and key
learning points, to assist them in the training program. They are
also exposed to on-the-job training and are required to complete
assignments specific to each training environment. Regular weekly
meetings with the program mentor allow us to determine the
effectiveness of the program and the Trainee’s learning mastery.
We were pleased to announce to our NC Management Group
that Management Trainee, Crystal Mitchell began as Night
Shift Cone Debone Supervisor effective April 26, 2010. To our
advantage, Crystal has poultry background having interned for
us at our Feed Mill and Breeder locations. Additionally, her
grandfather and father are growers for Mountaire’s Breeder
Operation. Crystal spent fifteen (15) weeks training in a
stimulating and challenging learning environment within our
production facility.
During this time, she has
had the opportunity to
experience and enhance her
poultry processing career
development. Crystal joined
us on January 11, 2010
after graduating from North
Carolina State University’s
College of Poultry Science.
Matthew Neal, another
Management Trainee, is
demonstrating exceptional
understanding of the
Program learning objectives.
He is enthusiastic and engaged in the assignments and hands-ontraining. Matthew joined us on April 21, 2010, and he graduated
from North Carolina State University’s College of Agricultural
Business Management in December 2009.
he hot summer weather is upon us. With the additions
of well insulated solid wall houses, evaporative cooling
systems, and tunnel ventilation, your poultry houses can
continue to perform extremely well under adverse conditions.
While all the above technology is great for summer
performance, the poultry houses are more dependent than ever
on properly maintained electrical systems and alarm systems.
The positive news is there are many things that can help
prevent common electrical problems. A good place to start is
to become familiar with the generator, transfer switch, and all
panel boards. You will need to know that your alarm system has
a working battery back up should the power failure.
A good generator maintenance program should include
addressing the following:
1) Fuel system – how much fuel it takes to run the generator
per hour and if you are on load control from the electric
company, make sure you are on a monthly fill up.
2)Battery and charging system – replace battery every
two years.
3)Cooling system – generators will shut down if coolant
gets too low.
4) Engine conditions, belts, etc.
5) Oil change/level
The automatic transfer switch should start the generator and
transfer the farm to generator power if there is a loss of power.
There can be occasions when the transfer fails and you will be
required to operate the switch manually. If you do not know
how to manually operate your transfer switch, contact a qualified
electrician or generator company for one-on-one training.
It is important to realize that even if you have power from
your electric supplier or your generator starts and you are
transferred to generator, power loss is still a potential problem.
The most common loss of power is a tripped circuit breaker.
This can come from a breaker going bad with age, over loaded
circuit, or lug nuts being loose causing it to overheat.
Electrical panel maintenance should include:
1) Properly sized breakers and breaker boxes.
2) Adequate ventilation where panel boxes are located.
3)Monitor breaker temperatures with a heat gun or
heat-activated stickers. Be aware that when main
breakers exceed 110° F you are starting to reach a high
stress point. Main breakers are prone to trip when
temperature approaches 140°F.
We all take for granted that electrical equipment will work
when needed; however, we all know anything mechanical can
fail. Keep the phone and emergency beeper numbers of your
electrician available. Check the alarm system often, keeping your
beeper or cell phone on you at all times. Most importantly make
yourself available! Make sure someone is on the farm at all times
and has the knowledge on what to do should the power fail.
Investing in preparation and maintenance can pay big
dividends during the summer season.
Page 11
Family Day In Arkansas
Mountaire Corporation employees, family and friends, celebrated Family Day on May 15 at
the Dickey-Stephens Baseball Park in North Little Rock, AR.
Everyone gathered in the pavilion area to enjoy a dinner buffet and snacks while watching the
Arkansas Travelers baseball game. Some of the kids participated in the Banana Limbo contest and won a free Tropical Smoothie. Many of the younger kids wore themselves out in the
Kid Zone where they played on a variety of inflatable toys. It was a relaxing evening where
everyone really enjoyed just being together. To view more photos visit our photo gallery on
www.mountaire.com
Mountaire & North Carolina A&T State University
…A partnership to build on
S
ince May of 2008 Mountaire Farms of
NC has been placing birds at North
Carolina A&T State University’s poultry
unit. Collaborating with the poultry unit staff,
Professor, Dr. Willie Willis and Anthony Hooks,
the poultry unit coordinator, we have completed
many trials; ranging from breed trials and feed
trials, to coccidiosis vaccine trials.
We utilize two houses 96 feet long and 38 feet
wide in the poultry unit. Each is equipped with
four 48 inch cone fans, a 6 inch recirculating pad,
and a choretronics controller. One of the houses
consists of 24 pens that have 50 birds placed each
time. They have one bell type drinker and two
hanging feeders. This house has been used mainly
for feed additive trials, including a product by
Kerry, which is thought to lessen the gasification in
the gut to improve feed conversion.
The second house is similar with the field, two
feed lines, and four nipple drinker lines. The
house is split down the middle to keep the sides
separate. Each side places 1800 birds, which is
Page 12
a density of one bird per square foot. We have
done breed trials in this house, for example,
Hubbard M99 versus Ross 708. The results are
utilized by management to decide on breeds
to use in the field to maximize performance. These trials have produced some wonderful
performance records, one flock weighed 9.08
lbs. with a 1.96 feed conversion. True potential
of the birds we grow in the field are shown
through these trials. We have done trials on
the two different coccidiosis vaccines, coccivac vs. inovocox. The cocci-vac is sprayed on
the chicks at the hatchery day of hatch. The
inovocox is injected in the egg at the hatchery
the same time the Mareks and penicillin
doses are given. At this time we are using the
inovocox in the field. The current trial we are conducting at the unit
is a feed additive trial using the Kerry product.
One side has the additive and the other is the
control feed used in the field presently. This collaboration is not only beneficial to
Mountaire, it allows students to get hands on
training of day old chicks to market age. They
work with Anthony Hooks by helping him get
houses ready for birds, feed trays, picking up and
disposing of any mortality. Our relationship with
NC A&T University allows us the opportunity
to meet students who have the potential to be
future employees for Mountaire.
Dr.Willis, the student professor, has had many
articles published on his research for using a
mushroom extract in the feed to help with
campylobacter and salmonella counts on the bird.
I have enjoyed working with Dr.Willis, Mr. Hooks,
and the students over the past two years.
The data accumulated throughout the trials
has shown the potential of the birds is yet to
be tapped. I would like to thank everyone at
the poultry unit for their hard work, time, and
dedication to our birds.
Jacob Caviness
Broiler Flock Supervisor
Helping in Haiti
One of our own finds herself in the middle of the earthquake
relief efforts in Haiti
A
mission trip that was already
planned for the Dominican Republic
quickly turned into a mission trip
of a lifetime for Teresa Lindley, of the NC
Hatchery. Teresa has been to the Dominican
on three previous Medical Mission trips with
a local team of medical doctors and nurses.
Her role on the medical trips is to provide
children’s activities and ministries to the
children as they wait to see the doctors in the
villages of
the Dominican Republic. This year the trip was planned for
01/29 – 02/06/2010.
After the earthquake hit in Haiti, they were asked by Score
International to go to Haiti during their stay to help with relief
for the Haitian earthquake victims. After an 8-hour bus trip from
Juan Dolio, DR to Fon Parisian, Haiti they were based at an
orphanage that was transformed to a medical tent facility to care
for recovering surgery patients and to triage and prepare victims
for surgery. There were about 800-900
people in rows of Red Cross tents that
required medical attention and followup. There were medical supplies
to unpack, medicines to sort and
dispense for the doctors and people to
identify and access. The team had four
pharmacists, four doctors, a surgeon,
nurses and Teresa. The team hit the
ground running with many things to
do. Setting up camp being one, the
team lived in tents for four days and nights, which they had
brought with them and along with their food and water.
Remembering
Those We’ve Lost
Teresa’s role quickly fell in place as
she was put with a team from Harvard
and UNICEF to identify children that
were minors and unaccompanied by a
parent. People were brought to the tent
city hospital by helicopter from Port-aPrince, which did not always allow
room for parents; and of course many
parents were killed in the earthquake.
With her crayons, Bible-story coloring pages and stickers,
Teresa fell right in with the interpreters to help identify the
children and put hospital bracelets on them to identify them
as “911 risks”
or to link them
to their parents
as they were
transported
from place to
place. This
was an answer
to prayer to be
able to help
in a disaster
situation
with the simple supply of crayons and stickers to
put smiles on the faces of children in a desperate
situation. The people were so receptive and
appreciative even for such small gifts as Teresa
had to offer. What a joy it was and heartache at the
same time. The team came home with a complete different
mindset, and so thankful for what we all have.
The entire Mountaire family would like to
extend our sympathies to families of those
we’ve lost in recent months…
Issac Williams of Parkton, NC – 03/27/2010
Ward D. Murray of Berlin, MD – 04/29/2010
Vanessa Timmons of Salisbury, MD – 05/05/2010
Charles Timmons, Jr of Salisbury, MD– 05/05/2010
PRSRT
STANDARD
U.S.POSTAGE
PAID
PERMIT # 273
ANNAPOLIS, MD
Roger Marino
Corporate Community
Relations Director
TOTAL QUALITY SERVICE
The continuous process of servicing each of our internal customers with quality
work on time, at low cost each step of the way resulting in a high quality – least cost
product delivered to our external customers.
HOW IT’S ACCOMPLISHED
Teams, Employee Involvement and Communication of Goals and Results.
THE RESULT
• We create value for our customers—value is what sells more product profitably.
• The external customers are successful
• The internal customers are successful (Us)
• Mountaire is successful
• Value becomes our competitive advantage
• We all grow
MOUNTAIRE CREED
To provide Quality and Service Consistently
To be honest and fair with everyone including customers,
suppliers, community neighbors and each other
To provide an environment dedicated to personal and corporate growth
To be good stewards of all the assets God has entrusted to us