Nine Companies Selected for Annual Honor

Springdale, Ark. – April 27, 2017 – Tyson Foods, Inc. (NYSE: TSN) has announced nine companies as winners in its twelfth annual “Supplier of the Year” awards program.

The awards were presented at a luncheon at Tyson Foods’ World Headquarters attended by Tyson Foods’ president of Poultry Operations Doug Ramsey, Senior Vice President of Procurement Melanie Russell and Senior Vice President of Corporate Research and Development Craig Bacon.

Winners of the 2016 Supplier of the Year award include:

• Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. of Cleveland, Ohio, a national supplier of mechanical components, bearing power transmissions and fluid power
• POET Ethanol Products of Wichita, Kan., a specialty supplier of liquid CO2.
• ColorMasters, LLC, of Albertville, Ala., a supplier of innovative flexible products.
• Symrise, Inc., of Teterboro, N.J., a supplier of seasoning and flavor products.
• Wabash Valley Produce, Inc., of Dubois, Ind., a supplier of liquid eggs.

Additionally, several companies were honored for their excellence in specific areas.

• Select Technologies, Inc. of Belmont, Mich., and Mid States Electric of Sioux City, Iowa, were named “Contractors of the Year” for their service in the Poultry, Prepared Foods and Fresh Meats divisions.
• Kerry of Beloit, Wis., was recognized as “Innovation Supplier of the Year” for its strong commitment to culinary, consumer insights, research and development, and application resources.
• Heartland Supply Company, Inc., of Fayetteville, Ark., a minority-owned supplier of food ingredients, along with a healthy distribution network, was recognized by Tyson’s Supplier Diversity program as “Diversity Supplier of the Year.”

The recognitions were based on supply-chain performance, total cost of ownership, pricing programs, customer-service performance, innovation, sustainability initiatives, and other performance metrics observed throughout the year.

“We are deeply appreciative of our suppliers as they are critical to Tyson Foods’ success as a company,” said Melanie Russell, senior vice president of procurement, Tyson Foods. “The 2016 winners have demonstrated an exceptional commitment to helping us assure our customers and consumers of the safety and quality of our products.”

The theme of the luncheon was centered on the suppliers’ contributions to the success of Tyson Foods. Ramsey, Russell, and Bacon each addresses the winners, thanking them for their hard work as business partners with Tyson Foods in 2016 and recognizing their renewed focus on innovation and their ability to drive out costs while increasing efficiency.

About Tyson Foods

Tyson Foods, Inc. (NYSE:TSN), with headquarters in Springdale, Arkansas, is one of the world’s largest food companies with leading brands such as Tyson®, Jimmy Dean®, Hillshire Farm®, Sara Lee®, Ball Park®, Wright®, Aidells® and State Fair®.  It’s a recognized market leader in chicken, beef and pork as well as prepared foods, including bacon, breakfast sausage, turkey, lunchmeat, hot dogs, pizza crusts and toppings, tortillas and desserts. The company supplies retail and foodservice customers throughout the United States and approximately 115 countries. Tyson Foods was founded in 1935 by John W. Tyson, whose family has continued to lead the business with his son, Don Tyson, guiding the company for many years and grandson, John H. Tyson, serving as the current chairman of the board of directors. The company currently has approximately 114,000 Team Members employed at more than 400 facilities and offices in the United States and around the world. Through its Core Values, Code of Conduct and Team Member Bill of Rights, Tyson Foods strives to operate with integrity and trust and is committed to creating value for its shareholders, customers and Team Members. The company also strives to be faith-friendly, provide a safe work environment and serve as stewards of the animals, land and environment entrusted to it.

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Media Contact: 

Derek Burleson, 479-290-6466, derek.burleson@tyson.com