Mountaire Farms
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Poultry farming and processing |
| Founded | 1914 |
| Founder | Guy Cameron |
| Headquarters | Millsboro , United States |
Area served | United States, parts of Asia |
Key people | Ron Cameron (President and CEO) |
| Products | Chicken products |
Number of employees | 7,000 |
Mountaire Farms ranks as the fourth-largest chicken producer in the United States, with its headquarters situated in Millsboro, Delaware. The company operates on an international scale, catering to customers throughout the U.S. and parts of Asia. Its facilities are distributed across Arkansas, Delaware, Maryland, North Carolina, and Virginia. Employing approximately 7,000 individuals, Mountaire Farms plays a vital role in Delaware's economic landscape.
History
Mountaire Farms originated in Arkansas in 1914 when Guy Cameron launched a local feed business. The company experienced growth under his son, Ted Cameron, who established four feed mills during the 1950s. Chicken processing began in 1959, and the firm was incorporated as Mountaire Poultry, Inc. in 1964 before transitioning to Mountaire Corporation in 1971. In 1975, Ron Cameron, Ted’s son, took over as president and CEO, steering the company through strategic expansion.
The company extended its reach to Delaware in 1977 by acquiring H&H Poultry located in Selbyville. Further acquisitions followed, including Piedmont Poultry in 1996; operations from Townsends encompassing Central Grain Facilities in 2000; and a newly constructed feed mill in Candor, North Carolina that same year. In 2003, Mountaire purchased Tyson’s feed mill in Princess Anne, Maryland. The acquisition of Hostetter Grain Facilities across Maryland and Delaware occurred in 2007, followed by Mauney Grain in New London, North Carolina in 2009. Carmean Grain Facilities in Ridgely, Maryland were added in 2011; Gavilon Grain in Townsend, Delaware joined the portfolio in 2012; and the Townsend/Omtron Hatchery in Siler City was acquired in 2013. Star Milling in Statesville became their Breeder Feed Mill after its purchase in 2014. In 2016, Mountaire acquired a processing plant in Siler City with plans for renovation and inaugurated a new corporate office in Millsboro. The company further expanded by acquiring grain assets from Lansing Trade Group operating within Virginia in 2017.
In 2024, a fire broke out at one of Mountaire’s poultry facilities in North Carolina, resulting in the loss of roughly 21,000 chickens raised for the company.
COVID-19 outbreak
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Mountaire Farms was classified as an essential business by the White House and mandated to continue production operations. Early on, the company formed a "coronavirus task force" aimed at implementing safety measures before any confirmed cases emerged within its workforce. In April and May of 2020, an unconfirmed outbreak occurred at its Selbyville plant in Delaware. Local authorities voiced concerns regarding testing procedures due to potential economic repercussions affecting plant operations.
Additional COVID-19 cases were reported at Mountaire facilities located in North Carolina, including nine infections at Lumber Bridge and eleven at the Siler City plant employing approximately 1,500 workers. These developments led Piedmont Health and the North Carolina National Guard to conduct expanded testing efforts, which identified 74 positive cases out of 356 tests administered. These incidents underscored the difficulties faced by Mountaire Farms in safeguarding employee health while sustaining uninterrupted production within their processing plants.
Animal welfare concerns
In 2018, Mountaire encountered backlash from animal rights organizations for failing to clarify whether it employed nasal implants in male breeder chickens—a method widely regarded as inhumane and discontinued by many other producers.
By 2023, undercover footage exposed substandard conditions at a contract farm responsible for raising approximately 75,000 birds on behalf of Mountaire Farms. The investigation revealed issues such as overcrowded living spaces and decaying carcasses among the flock. A veterinarian who reviewed the material confirmed ongoing neglect regarding deceased birds. Additionally, inspectors observed manure heaps scattered with dead poultry remains.
Documents obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests from government inspections uncovered severe violations at two Mountaire processing facilities. These infractions included instances of birds being scalded while still alive, suffocation, amputations, disease presence, and contamination with fecal matter.
Labor disputes
In 2024, Mountaire consented to a $13.5 million settlement stemming from accusations that it colluded to limit employee wages. The company asserted that the allegations were unfounded and focused on progressing beyond the lawsuit.
In 2021, workers at one of the processing plants raised concerns about exposure to harmful chemicals leading to health issues; Mountaire refuted these allegations. Employees have also reported experiences of retaliation, discrimination, restricted bathroom access, and efforts by management to discourage union organization.
Political contributions
Mountaire Farms ranked as the fifth-largest donor to Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign. During the 2018 midterm elections, the company contributed $7.7 million to Republican campaigns, which secured CEO Ronald Cameron an invitation to the White House on election day. Cameron was subsequently appointed to Trump's pandemic advisory panel, illustrating Mountaire’s deliberate involvement in political arenas to shape regulatory policies and business conditions.