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Smithfield Foods, Inc. is an American〔http://www.smithfieldfoods.com/contact-us〕 company and the world's largest pork producer and processor. Headquartered in Smithfield, Virginia, it runs facilities in 26 U.S. states, including the largest slaughterhouse and meat-processing plant in the world, located in Tar Heel, North Carolina.〔 It also has operations in Mexico and in 10 European countries, with a global total of over 46,000 employees and an annual revenue of $13 billion.〔("Our company" ) and ("Investors" ), Smithfield Foods.〕 As of 2015 it is majority owned by Chinese-based and state-owned holding company Shanghui International Holdings Ltd.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Chinese state-owned group eyes $23 billion bid for Micron )〕 Smithfield was founded in 1936 by Joseph W. Luter and his son as the Smithfield Packing Company, now its largest subsidiary. From 1981, it began to purchase companies such as Eckrich, Farmland Foods of Kansas, Gwaltney of Smithfield, John Morrell, Murphy Family Farms of North Carolina, and Premium Standard Farms.〔(Deptolla (Smithfield Foods) 2011 ), p. 6.〕 It was able to grow as a result of its highly industrialized pig production, raising the animals using a vertical integration system of production that enables the company to control their development from conception to packing. Thousands of livestock are housed together in barns with metal roofs, known as concentrated animal feeding operations, where they are permanently confined.〔 The company raises around 15 million pigs a year and processes 27 million, producing over six billion pounds of pork.〔(Tietz (''Rolling Stone''), December 14, 2006 ), p. 1.〕 It was the top pig slaughter operation in the United States in 2007, at 114,300 pigs a day, and along with three other companies slaughtered 56% of the cattle processed there until it sold its beef group in 2008.〔(Seward 2009, p. 650 ). The other companies were American Foods Group, Cargill Meat Solutions and XL Beef. *For the sale of Smithfield Beef Group, the fifth-largest beef producer in the United States, to JBS S.A., see (Walzer, October 24, 2008 ).〕 Smithfield sells its products under a variety of brand names, including Cook's Ham, Gwaltney, John Morrell, Krakus Ham, Patrick Cudahy, Smithfield, and Stefano's. C. Larry Pope is the president and chief executive officer.〔 ==Company profile== The company traces its history to 1936, when Joseph W. Luter, Sr. and his son, Joseph W. Luter, Jr., opened the Smithfield Packing Company in Smithfield, Virginia. The latter served as chief executive officer (CEO) until his death in 1962. A grandson, Joseph W. Luter III, joined the company the same year, and in 1966 became chairman and CEO until Smithfield was taken over by Liberty Equities in 1969. The company hired Luter again as CEO in 1975 when it found itself in financial difficulties. His restructuring of the company is credited with its improved performance, and he remains on the board of directors.〔 His son, Joseph W. Luter IV, is an executive vice president of Smithfield Foods and president of the Smithfield Packing Company, the parent company's largest subsidiary.〔 Smithfield began to expand in 1981 with its purchase of its main competitor, Gwaltney of Smithfield. This was followed by the acquisition of almost 40 companies in the pork, beef, and livestock industries between 1981 and around 2008.〔(Calamuci (''New Labor Forum''), 2008 ), p. 73.〕 Patrick Cudahy was purchased in 1984 and Schluderberg-Kurdle in 1986.〔 In 1992 the company opened the world's largest processing plant, a 973,000-square-foot facility in Tar Heel, North Carolina, which in 2000 could process 32,000 pigs a day.〔 It purchased John Morrell & Co in the Midwest in 1995, Circle Four Farms in 1998, and in 1999 bought the two of the largest pig producers in the United States: Carroll's Foods and Murphy Family Farms of North Carolina, at that point the largest producer. Jill Hobbs and Linda Young write that Smithfield's purchase of these companies constituted a major structural change in the U.S. pig industry.〔(Hobbs and Young 2001 ), p. 17.〕 Farmland Foods of Kansas City was added in 2003, as were Sara Lee's European Meats, ConAgra Foods Refrigerated Meats, Butterball (the poultry producer), and Premium Standard Farms in 2007.〔("1965–1936" ); ("2000–1966" ); ("Present–2010" ); ("Corporate Officers" ), Smithfield Foods, undated. *For Murphy Family Farms and Tyson, see (''The New York Times'', September 30, 1999 ).〕 It sold its 49 percent share in Butterball in 2008 for an estimated $175 million.〔(Felberbaum (Associated Press), September 10, 2010 ). *(Associated Press, December 7, 2010 ).〕 The acquisitions have caused concern among regulators in the United States regarding the company's control of the food supply. After Smithfield's purchase of Murphy Family Farms, the Agriculture Department described it as "absurdly big."〔 As of 2006 four companies – Smithfield, Tyson, Swift & Company, and Cargill – were responsible for the production of 70 percent of pork in the United States.〔(Calamuci (''New Labor Forum'') 2008 ), p. 68.〕 The company had 46,050 employees in the United States, Mexico and Europe as of 2012, and an annual revenue of $13 billion. It raises 15.8 million pigs a year, producing 3.8 billion pounds of fresh pork and 2.7 billion pounds of packaged meat, sold as 50 brands of pork products and 200 gourmet foods.〔("A Look Back at the Smithfield Foods History" ); ("Our company" ), and ("Investors" ), Smithfield Foods, undated.〕 Along with specialty brands such as Paula Deen Collection, and international brands such as Weight Watchers, the company's 12 core brands are Armour, Carando, Cook's Ham, Curly's Foods, Eckrich, Farmland, Gwaltney, Healthy Ones, John Morrell, Kretschmar, Margherita, and Smithfield.〔("The Brands of Smithfield Foods, Inc. and Our Independent Operating Companies" ), Smithfield Foods, undated.〕 The company also operates The Genuine Smithfield Ham Shoppe and a restaurant, Taste of Smithfield, both in Smithfield, Virginia.〔(Walzer (''The Virginian-Pilot''), July 10, 2012 ).〕 On 29 May 2013, Shuanghui Group, also known as the Shineway Group, the largest meat producer in China, announced a purchase of all of the stock of Smithfield Foods, Inc. for approximately $4.72 billion. It was also announced by Shuanghui that it would list Smithfield on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange after completing the takeover. On 6 September 2013 the U.S. government approved Shuanghui International Holding’s purchase of Smithfield Food, Inc. The deal was valued approximately $7.1 billion. It since has been the largest stock acquisition by a Chinese company of an American company to date. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Smithfield Foods」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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