Gold Kist: Cooperative to Company

Founded in 1933, the company that would become Gold Kist began as a cotton production cooperative. This cotton cooperative quickly expanded, purchasing a fertilizer plant to reduce costs for members of the cooperative. Gold Kist expanded again in the 1940’s to include animal feeds and opened its first retain farm supply store in 1944. Through these retail farm supply stores, Gold Kist entered the poultry business. From supplying feed to broiler producers, they moved on to purchasing boilers and eventually, in the 1950’s, began to focus primarily on the production and export of boilers. In 1998, Gold Kist sold the agronomy divisions to focus primarily on protein production, namely chicken. Its extensive distribution network makes Gold Kist one of the largest employers of private carriers in the country.

In October of 2004, Gold Kist cooperative members voted to convert to a for-profit company. Its stock is traded on NASDAQ under the symbol “GKIS”. Gold Kist is now one of the largest chicken producers in the United States with 9 divisions. These divisions include 11 processing plants, 19 hatcheries, 12 feed mills, 10 distribution centers and 3 by-product plants. These operations employ more than 16,000 people, process 14 million birds a week, and export approximately 8% of production internationally.

Gold Kist is based in Atlanta, Georgia and its facilities are based in the Southeast United States. Applicants and employees encounter opportunities for employment and professional development and advancement. Gold Kist offers salaried employees benefits packages including medical, dental, and life insurance, a salary continuation plan, long-term disability insurance, a profit sharing and investment plan, paid retirement program, and business travel insurance. Other benefits include paid vacation and holidays, educational assistance, credit union and service awards.