Tyson Gives Advice, Answers Questions

Managing Editor

Courtesy of  Media Services

Gives advice- John H. Tyson tells the agricultural students about how Tyson Foods, Inc. began. Tyson answered the questions of the students and faculty after speaking.

    The Chair of the board of Tyson Foods, Inc. spoke to and answered the question from the agriculture students and faculty in the Agriculture and Southeast Research & Extension Center Sept. 16. 

   John H. Tyson, a member of the University Of Arkansas Board Of Trustees, talked with students about the agriculture business, family history and lessons he learn over the years in the business.

   Tyson gave some quick numbers to describe the size of the company and what it does. They process over: 42 million chickens a week, 150,000 head of cattle a week and over 350,000 head of hogs a week. He said there was a 25 percent chance when a person goes into a grocery store or restaurant they are touching a Tyson product. 

   Tyson told the students about two life lessons he learned at the age of 16. He learned he needed to attention to details and take care of your people. Tyson learned these lessons from a plant manager at one of his father’s plant. The manager started him at the end of the line and reminded him he was here to learn and to pay attention to his job. The manager took the time to show him how to remove the crates of chickens which came off the truck and was off one conveyor belt and onto another. When he didn’t pick up the crate right he became covered in chicken liter.

   “I can still remember his words today, he said, “you have to pay attention because in agriculture its about the details between being in business and not being in business,'” Tyson said.

   The manager taught him a second lesson when he returned later with a new shirt and blue jeans for him to change into.

   Tyson talked about several opportunities for young adults to come into the business. Tyson described how the past opportunities for work in the company were in the plant or in the field raising or processing chickens. Today, young adults have the opportunity to work in different areas of the company. The company operates a research and development lab employing 100 plus technology employees with Biology degrees, Chemistry degrees, chefs and culinary employees.

  They also have a new associate degree. This degree gives the opportunity for a chef to learn technological skills and someone with technological skills to learn to be a chef. The programs will certify 12 people with eight –nine people working for Tyson.

   “I think with any company, whether it is our company or whether it’s a finance company, its important to have good fundamental skills to know how to learn and think and how to solve problems,” Tyson said.

   Tyson described someone could move ahead at Tyson Foods, Inc. including; having a good attitude, people who care for their work and people who aren’t afraid  to jump in and solve problems. He talked about having a good “thought process” in making decisions. He said sometimes the decisions will be right and sometimes they will be wrong. On occasion a person will be wrong and they will have to stop, make another decision, “there is no such thing as perfection in agriculture.”

   Tyson opened the floor to question from the students and professor. A mixture of classes came together to listen to Tyson such as Agriculture Orientation, Commodity Marketing, Beef Production and other students

   One question asked was “What would I do with an Animal Science Degree I Came of work for Tyson?” Tyson Foods, Inc. provides training 12-18 month training programs to expose worker to different parts of the company. Then after the training in the program the worker can choose an area they liked best and if an area doesn’t have an opening, a position might be open in another area. 

   “The Animal Science degree is a basic grounding in agriculture and that’s how we would approach putting you into the training program,” he said.

    For people who came to work for Tyson with Animal Science degrees, they have moved on to go into marketing, sales or other areas. Tyson described it as an open door into the company and after the worker puts forth the hard work, their interest will help them advance in the company.

    Another student asked, “What would you look for in a employee with an agriculture degree?” Tyson’s team said they would look for an employee with good communication skills, people who work without a manager standing over them, motivation, the ability to manage your own time and computer skills.

   One student asked a question concerning women. “Most people think that the Ag Industry is a man’s world, so what is your advice of women trying to get a head in the Ag Industry?” The team helped answered the question. They said women make up probable 50 percent or more of the employees at the plant in Pine Bluff and women make good supervisors. In 8 years in production four- five women came out of college that worked as grower technicians. One of the team members said, “A lot of the women will come to us in marketing and sales and then you see a line of fore-runners to what you call staff jobs: accounting and some of the environmental sciences, but the dynamics have changed and they are still changing.”

   Tyson continued the topic explaining how the company helps women to come back to work after having children and when the employee’s children become old enough to take care of themselves.

   “It was a pretty good talk,” senior Shelby Williams said. “He had a lot of good points.”

   Other questions asked included:

• “Has Oklahoma got off ya’ll back about the ground water quality?"
• “What do you think of Blanche Lincoln?"
• “Senator Lincoln has just become the chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee in the U.S. Congress. What impact do you think that might have?”
• “How much do you earn when you export your products global?”
• “How many plants do you have in Arkansas?”
• “Do you ever get tired of eating chicken?”
• “What kind of opportunities are there for travel?”
• “Do you sell Angus Burgers?”
• “Where did you go to school and where did you get your degree?”
• “Do you sell poultry litter to rice farmers or anyone interested in using it as fertilizer?”

     Six team members, also UAM graduates, came with Tyson to speak with the students. The members of the Pine Bluff Cook Team included:

• David Rauls, 1994 graduate
• Paul McKnight, 2003 graduate
• Tommy Tooke, 1980 graduate
• Jason Alison, 1996 graduate
• James Nichols, 1995 graduate
• David West, 1994 graduate

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