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Tyson Foods Inc. Tyson Food

Last reviewed: March 11, 2013 ~14 min read
Abstract

This is a case presentation on Tyson Foods Inc Company and the industry within which it operates. It discusses the industry and the competitors within the industry, the profitability and success factors of the industry. It also discusses the strengths and weaknesses of the organization. It provides a conclusion that recapitulates the contents of the paper.

Tyson Foods Inc.

Tyson food inc

The first and most significant reason why people work is to sustain their lives. It is for this very reason that several investors have put their resources in the food world market today. There are many companies and business ventures that have been born from this entrepreneurial opportunity. The food companies can be considered as the earliest of all industries in the world. The foods market will never end as every person has to eat. There are hence different types of businesses and companies, depending on the food service they offer. There are some that deal exclusively with fruits, some with fast foods, some big companies with all services in one place and others that specialize in one service. Such is the Tyson Foods Inc. international company.

Tyson Foods Inc. was born in the early 1935 as a simple and one stop provider of food services. Its sole mission was to revolutionize the food market into a standard, quality and successful industry with a difference (Tyson foods inc., 2011). The company was founded in Springdale, Arkansas and hence the headquarters were located there. To date, the company has grown and expanded tremendously into among the first of the largest producers, processors, marketers and distributors of pork, beef and chicken. It specializes in processing meat and protein rich foods and food products. In the S&P 500 association of which it is a member, it is the largest processor of the meat products and the second in the Fortune 500 association.

Tyson Foods Inc. produces a remarkably wide variety of the protein rich and made food products. As a result, it has earned the recognition in the retail market and food services providers as the market leader. It is present in the home nation of United States and other additional 90 countries across the world (Tyson foods inc., 2011). That means it exports so much and hence has a vast market and demand. It is an employer to over 115,000 personnel in the United States and across the world in all its facilities that range slightly above 400 in number across all these nations. It is a well organized institution and has extremely strict and quality core values and code of conduct. It also has a team member's bill of rights with which it strives to achieve trust and integrity within the markets and among its team members, customers and shareholders. In addition, the company also has measures and regulations that aim at providing a safe and friendly working environment for the personnel.

The meats industry in which Tyson Foods Inc. has invested in is among the largest agricultural sectors in the United States (Etter, 2008). According to statistics released in the near previous years, the amount of meat and poultry foodstuffs produced was more than 92.3 billion pounds in 2011. This was an increase of about 200 million pounds from the 2010 production. This is a clear illustration that the industry of foods and foods services is wide and rich in investors and shareholders. It is a highly competitive field with more than enough share of companies that deal in the trade. This means that the Tyson Foods Inc. has so many competitors.

The market for meat and meat product is exceptionally large. In America alone, the industry has such a large market that the produce is sometimes not enough for the whole nation. Let the whole nation alone, some states, especially the urbanized cities do face large completion for the meat and meat products. This creates a much ready market for all the products of the companies that have the service. The industry is therefore, well established and has expanded over the years into international standards.

As Tyson Foods Inc. is an international company, having facilities in about 90 countries across the world, it has many competitors both inside and outside the home nation. Despite the actuality that Tyson Foods Inc. is a gigantic producer of the foods products and covers remarkably expansive regions, it still faces stiff competition from other providers in the market (Etter, 2008). Its principal competitors include companies such as Smithfield Foods Inc., BRF-Brazil Foods S/A ADS, Leucadia National Corp, Hormel Foods Corp. Zhongpin Inc., Hillshire Brands Co. And China Marine Food Group Ltd. among Many Others (Tyson foods inc., 2011).

The competition is wide and particularly stiff, ranging from the actual production process, the source of the meat products, the pricing of products, the marketing and even the workforce sector. The completion for quality and effective workforce is stiff and hence to keep the workers, the company has to establish measures and incentives to lure and keep its workers. Moreover, the other competitors in the industry produce, in surplus, and may offer their products at much lower prices, hence causing the customers to purchase their products over those of Tyson Foods Inc. The quality of service is another sector that the competitors give Tyson foods inc a run for their money. This is because, being an international company, it has to produce in large quantities. For such reasons, maintaining quality is always a challenge as compared to smaller ventures in the same line of production. Therefore, the continuum of the foods market is wide, but the competition is largely prevalent.

Examining the profitability of Tyson Foods Inc., it is vital that we realize the productivity of the same. Tyson Foods Inc. has invested not only in the meat and meat products, but also in farming of the same. The company is among the largest producers of chicken in the United States (Etter, 2008). It also is a gigantic owner of beef and pork, hence producing plenty of the meat it offers into the market. The fresh meat sector is an exceptionally lucrative section of the industry, and as a result, Tyson Foods Inc. has taken all measures to maximize on the profits from the market. The company, in addition to the fresh meat, it offers pre-cooked meat, value added processed meat and refrigerated as well as frozen ready foods. The company has gone to an additional step to integrate the chicken operations. It rears the chicken, hatches the eggs and supplies the contract growers with chicks and the chicken feeds then brings them back to the company for processing. The company in this way cuts down on its expenditures since it produces its own supplies for the industry to process and sell.

As seen from the company past documented reports, the company currently processes approximately 42 million chickens, 390,000 pigs and 144,000 heads of cattle in an average on a weekly basis. This is an extremely large number compared to the other smaller producers in the industry. Its customer market base ranges from local and international retailers, wholesalers and other food service related industries in the United States and the other additional countries, in which it is located (Etter, 2008). Furthermore, the company also is enlisted in the New York Stock Exchange Market. This has earned it the large number of shareholders that have invested in the company. It in turn, has gained many returns from the stock exchange market. For instance, in the fiscal year 2012, the company generated a net income from the sales of about $33.278 billion. In addition, the company provides employment to many people, with the total workforce of above 115,000 workers. The returns of the company in the industry have been on the rise over the years. Therefore, it is true to conclude that, the industry and the company as a whole are remarkably profitable. The profitability of the industry is un-doubtable.

The foods and meat industry have been in the rise for quite a long time. However, this hugely lucrative and evidently profitable industry has had its fair share of ups and downs (Kren & Tyson, 2009). With these challenging times and factors in the market, the industry has witnessed several ventures that started with zeal and a lot of determination to succeed fail terribly. Some of those failures have been able to come back and make strong strategies and make it while others just simply collapsed and subsided for good.

There are several success factors that profoundly influence the industry as a whole. The foods and food services industry are not easy to thrive in as there are many concerns about products of the companies. These success factors include the availability and source of the products to use in the production process (Kren & Tyson, 2009). The access of meat is essential as the companies cannot produce from nothing. Therefore, a company that has many input and source of the meat to produce the final products has better chances of prevailing in the industry.

Additionally, the geographic concentration of the production of the pork beef and poultry products is also a key contributor. The industry requires that the company has a large production base for the company to succeed. Moreover, the operation size and specialization is also equally vital in determining the success in the industry. The larger the size of the company operating in the industry, the better and easier it is for it to succeed in the industry. Smaller sized companies have a rough time coping with the challenges and the competition within the industry (Kren & Tyson, 2009). Therefore, the size of the organization investing in the industry is a key determinant of success in the industry. The specialization factor is also significant in determining the success in the market. The market requires large specialization as the foods market is diverse. Different individuals will want different types of services and hence the larger the specialization sector, the easier it is to become accustomed to the trends within the market.

Value added products at the retail level are also highly effective in pushing the company towards success in the market of the foods industry. Many people consider buying products that have been processed and packaged with added value in them rather than the actual meat (Etter, 2008). Therefore, investing in the value added retail products crates better chances of success. Branding and marketing also determine the impact a company makes in the industry. Thus, the way a company brands its products and just like any other industry, marketing the products is a crucial success factor. The vertical integration provides an added advantage in the industry. Therefore, a company that produces own meat sources, then invests in the same and offers additional incentives for other contractors in the industry creates a vertical chain that is truly contributory to the growth and success of the corporation in the area of operation.

Foods and foods services are very sensitive as they directly affect the people's lives. Therefore the quality and quantity control and consistency also determines if the company succeeds in the industry or not. The quality of the services and products offered determine the kind of reception the customers will have for the products. A company that has high quality meat products and services and does so consistently has better chances of thriving within the industry.

Moreover, the quantity supplied has to be steady. This is because; the retailers and other customers of the meat and the products of the company will require a supplier who is available throughout so that they can make the best out of the market (Pulakanam, 2011). Issues of disease and epidemics breakout within the industry pose a danger and setback to the market. Therefore, the company needs to assure the market of the excellence standards of the food and services offered. Therefore, a company or investor that is not consistent in providing better quality and enough quantity of products will not be achieve much from the industry.

Moreover, like any other business venture, the management and workforce strategy of the company play pivotal role in determining the success of the company in the meat products industry. Good management skills make the most impact in the success of the company as there is nobody that can ran effectively without the head. The workforce needs to be stable and effectively endowed in skills as well as be adequately available. Currently, the technology has also entered the industry. Therefore, the extent to which the company applies technology can also determine the success of the industry. Technology is used in production, processing, packaging, storing, preserving and distributing the products. Therefore, a company that employs technology and technological advancements will easily succeed within the industry.

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PaperDue. (2013). Tyson Foods Inc. Tyson Food. PaperDue. https://www.paperdue.com/essay/tyson-foods-inc-tyson-food-86605

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