Sophie Bennett
Jim Perdue, the chairman of Perdue Farms, is the third-generation leader of the company. He took over the role from his father, Frank Perdue, in 1991 and became the advertising spokesman in 1994. While his age is not publicly known, his two sons, Chris and Ryan Perdue, who are the fourth generation in the family business, joined him in television advertisements in 2017.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Jim Perdue |
| Company | Perdue Farms |
| Position | Chairman |
| Father's Name | Frank Perdue |
| Year of Becoming Chairman | 1991 |
| Year of Becoming Advertising Spokesperson | 1994 |
| Year of Recruiting Sons for Ads | 2017 |
| Sons' Names | Chris Perdue, Ryan Perdue |
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What You'll Learn
Jim Perdue's age
Jim Perdue, the chairman of Perdue Farms, is the third generation of his family to lead the company. He took over the company from his father, Frank Perdue, in 1991 and became its advertising spokesman in 1994.
Jim's sons, Chris and Ryan Perdue, are part of the fourth generation of the Perdue family to work in the business. In 2017, Chris and Ryan joined their father in two commercials for Perdue Harvestland organic chicken. At the time, Chris and Ryan were in their 30s. This marked the first time that Jim had shared the spotlight in the company's marketing materials.
Jim Perdue was born in 1949. He grew up spending summers with the company and returned as a management trainee, working his way up the ranks and learning all aspects of the business.
Although I cannot provide an exact current age for Jim Perdue, based on his birth year, he is likely in his early to mid-70s.
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Perdue Farms history
Perdue Farms is a fourth-generation, family-owned American food and agriculture business that has been in business for over 100 years. The company was founded in 1920 by Arthur Perdue and his wife, Pearl Perdue, who had been keeping a small flock of chickens. Arthur gave up a promising career as a railroad agent on the rural Eastern Shore of Maryland to manage his backyard table-egg business. He was known for his concern for people, his frugality, his love of reading and poetry, and his dedication to his faith and hard work.
In the beginning, Perdue Farms sold table eggs, but in 1925, the company built its first hatchery and switched to selling layer chicks to farmers instead of eggs. Arthur's son, Frank Perdue, joined the company in 1939 at age 19 after dropping out of college. The company was incorporated as A.W. Perdue & Son, and Frank assumed leadership in the 1950s. During this time, the company also began contracting with local farmers to raise its birds and supplying chickens for processing, as well as opening a second hatchery in North Carolina.
In 1968, Perdue Farms began operating its first poultry processing plant in Salisbury, Maryland, giving the company full vertical integration and quality control over every step from egg and feed to market. This move also increased profits, which had been squeezed by processors. In the 1970s, Frank began promoting his chicken himself in TV ads, which was a pioneering idea at the time. He introduced the PERDUE® brand, forever changing the poultry industry and making marketing history.
In 1991, Frank's son, Jim Perdue, became the third generation of the Perdue family to lead the company as Chairman. Jim had grown up spending summers with the company and worked his way up the ranks, learning all parts of the business. Under Jim's leadership, Perdue Farms has continued to innovate and grow, becoming the first major company to move away from all routine antibiotic use and a leader in improving animal care. In 2013, Perdue was reportedly the third-largest American producer of broilers (chickens for eating), with an estimated 7% of the US chicken production market.
Today, Perdue Farms is the parent company of Perdue Foods and Perdue AgriBusiness, with 2021 annual sales of $8 billion. The company remains family-owned and operated, with five members of the next generation of Perdues currently working in the company, including Jim's sons, Chris and Ryan Perdue, who have followed in their father's footsteps as advertising spokespersons for the company's organic chicken line.
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Jim Perdue's role at Perdue Farms
Jim Perdue is the Chairman of Perdue Farms, a position he has held since 1991 when he took over from his father, Frank Perdue. He is the third-generation Perdue to lead the company, which has been family-owned and operated since 1920.
Jim grew up in the family business but did not initially plan to make it his career. However, in 1983, he accepted his father's invitation to join Perdue Farms as an entry-level management trainee in quality assurance. Over the years, he worked his way up through various management positions, learning all aspects of the business. He also earned a master's degree in business administration.
As Chairman, Jim has guided Perdue Farms to become the first major company to move away from all routine antibiotic use and a leader in improving animal care. The company is also the number one producer of USDA-certified chicken. In addition, Jim has continued the family tradition of appearing in Perdue's advertising campaigns. He began doing commercials with his father in 1995 and later recruited his two sons, Chris and Ryan Perdue, to join him in promoting the company's new line of organic chicken in 2017.
Jim Perdue has played a crucial role in Perdue Farms' success and evolution, upholding the values inherited from his grandfather and father while also responding to the changing needs of consumers and the market. He has steered the company into new territories, such as the organic market, and has maintained a strong commitment to quality and animal welfare. With Jim at the helm, Perdue Farms has continued to thrive as a leading name in the poultry industry.
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The Perdue family's involvement in the company
Perdue Farms, the parent company of Perdue Foods and Perdue AgriBusiness, was founded in 1920 by Arthur Perdue and his wife, Pearl Perdue. The company started out as a small flock of chickens and initially sold table eggs. However, in 1925, Perdue built its first hatchery and switched to selling layer chicks to farmers. Arthur soon gained a reputation for producing quality chicks, and the business survived even the stock market crash.
Arthur and Pearl's son, Frank Perdue, joined the family business in 1939 at the age of 19 after dropping out of college. He took over leadership of the company in the 1950s and nurtured it through a period of significant growth. Frank invested in grain facilities, feed mills, soybean refineries, and processing plants, allowing the company to expand into fresh poultry. He also introduced the first PERDUE® fully cooked products in the 1980s and added turkey to its poultry portfolio.
Frank Perdue became the first company leader to serve as an advertising spokesman in a major branding campaign. His famous slogan, "It takes a tough man to make a tender chicken," helped make PERDUE® a household name. Frank's son, Jim Perdue, grew up spending summers with the company and later joined as a management trainee, working his way up through various management positions. In 1991, Frank passed on the leadership of the company to Jim, making him the third-generation Perdue to lead the company.
Jim Perdue has continued the family tradition, appearing in commercials with his father, Frank, and later with his own sons, Chris and Ryan Perdue, who represent the fourth generation of the family business. Jim has guided the company into its second century, becoming the first major company to move away from routine antibiotic use and a leader in improving animal care. He has also overseen the company's transition into the organic market with the Harvestland brand.
Today, Perdue Farms has annual sales of over $6 billion and remains an iconic American brand, with five members of the next generation of Perdues currently working in the company.
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The company's transition to organic chicken
Jim Perdue, the third-generation leader of Perdue Farms, has guided the company into its second century of ownership by upholding the values he learned from his grandfather and father. Perdue Farms has become the first major company to move away from all routine antibiotic use, the number one producer of USDA-certified chicken, and a leader in improving animal care.
In 2017, Perdue Farms continued its legacy of leadership in poultry care with its Commitments to Animal Care, which were based on the Five Freedoms. The company brought together diverse stakeholders, including poultry care experts, animal welfare advocacy groups, customers, and farmers, to review its progress and discuss future advancements in poultry care.
The same year, Perdue Farms launched its Harvestland® line of USDA-certified organic chicken, marking the company's transition into the organic market. This transition was a slow process, involving changes from the hatchery to the point of sale. Perdue Farms aimed to meet the growing consumer demand for organically raised and processed chicken, which had seen a 20-25% growth in the past year.
Perdue Farms' organic chicken is raised on certified organic farms without the use of antibiotics. The chickens are free-range, with access to large, grassy pasture areas and enhancements like small wooden platforms that encourage them to be more active. They are fed an all-vegetarian diet without animal by-products, ensuring better taste and digestibility. The organic line, Simply Smart Organics, offers products such as whole grain, gluten-free, and lightly breaded nuggets, strips, and tenders, sold at affordable prices in major supermarkets and online.
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Frequently asked questions
I cannot find information on Jim Perdue's age. However, I can tell you that he took over the company from his father in 1991.
Jim Perdue is the chairman and advertising spokesman for Perdue Farms. He is the third generation of the Perdue family to lead the company.
Chris and Ryan Perdue, Jim Perdue's sons, are the fourth generation of the family business. They have appeared in commercials with their father to promote the company's Harvestland organic chicken.
Frank Perdue, Jim Perdue's father, transformed his dad's egg business into one of the largest chicken companies in the world. He began selling chickens from an ice chest in the back of his truck and rapidly grew the company through TV advertising.
