Simmons Prepared Foods, Inc. announced this week that David Jackson will succeed Gary Murphy as President and Chief Operating Officer of Simmons Prepared Foods, reporting directly to Todd Simmons, Chief Executive Officer of Simmons Foods, Inc. & Affiliates.
David was succeeded as President and Chief Operating Officer of Simmons Pet Food by Jason Godsey in October.
“David is a thoughtful and proven leader with a vision for Simmons that represents our shared values. He continues to play an important role in building cohesive teams and solid performance across multiple businesses,” said Todd Simmons, CEO of Simmons Foods. “Careful planning has ensured a smooth transition of leadership and we are confident our team will continue to build on a strong foundation for growth in our Prepared Foods business.”
Mr. Simmons continued, “Gary’s determined leadership sets us up for success. We’re thankful for his contributions and wish him well in his retirement.”
Murphy recently celebrated 25 years with Simmons, after almost two decades with ConAgra Foods. As President and COO of Simmons Prepared Foods, he led consistent growth, including multiple record-setting years of performance.
David Jackson said, “Our deliberate strategy, innovation focus and commitment to great quality and customer service will continue to position us for success. Our people and our guiding values are what make Simmons special and I’m excited about the opportunities ahead.”
Jackson earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Administrative Management from the University of Arkansas and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Texas at Austin. He recently celebrated 25 years at Simmons. Jackson spent most of his early career with the company in the poultry business before leading Simmons Pet Food as President and Chief Operating Officer for the last four years. He lives in Siloam Springs, Arkansas, with his wife and two children.
Simmons Prepared Foods is a farm to fork poultry producer based in Siloam Springs, Arkansas primarily serving customer brands as a supplier of premium chicken products for the foodservice industry. Known for our ability to meet demanding specifications and business integrity, Simmons supplies customized products to some of the world’s largest retailers and food chains. We are a vertically integrated producer, meaning we are dedicated to providing quality from the farm to the family dinner table.
Simmons operates 3 hatcheries and 2 feed mills which supply nearly 300 independent poultry growers and 20+ company managed farms who raise approximately 200 million chickens per year. Our 6 processing plants produce 750 million pounds of finished product per year for customer brands around the world.
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