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Pilgrim's Pride Corporation

Poultry and Prepared FoodsFounded 1946
Reviewed by Swet Parvadiya
Company data updated: October 2026
Independent Editorial Analysis
12 historical events · Editorial analysis

Pilgrim's Pride Company Profile: Revenue, Business Model & Strategy

Research depth: 12 milestones · 10 FAQs

Pilgrim's Pride is a JBS-controlled chicken and prepared foods company headquartered in Greeley, Colorado. It reported $18.50 billion in FY2025 net sales and $1.08 billion in net income, employs about 63,000 people and is led by CEO Fabio Sandri.

How Pilgrim's Pride makes money: Pilgrim's Pride makes money by raising, processing and selling chicken and, in Europe, pork and prepared meals. It owns breeder flocks, hatcheries, feed mills and processing plants, and pays independent contract growers…

Revenue & employeesCEO historyFoundersBusiness model
Annual Revenue (FY2025)$18.5B
Employees63,000
CEOFabio Sandri
Founded1946
IndustryFood
By Swet ParvadiyaLast reviewed:
Data sources: annual reports, SEC filings, methodology
Industry:Poultry and Prepared Foods

Pilgrim's Pride Corporation key figures

Pilgrim's Pride Corporation had revenue of $18.5B for fiscal year 2025, up 3.5% from FY2024. Net income was $1.1B, a net margin of 5.9%.

Source: PILGRIM'S PRIDE CORPORATION annual report (Form 10-K, SEC EDGAR, filed 2026-02-12) · Last reviewed October 2026

Revenue growth, FY2016 to FY2025
+7.2% a year
Compound annual rate, $9.9B to $18.5B
Peak revenue year
FY2025
The latest annual year is the highest in this series
Revenue per employee
$293,612
FY2025 revenue divided by 63,000 employees; headcount may use another date
Current chief executive
Fabio Sandri
In the role since 2020 (6 years)
Documented transactions
6
Between 2007 and 2021
Founded
1946
80 years ago
Where was Pilgrim's Pride founded?
Pilgrim's Pride was founded in Pittsburg, Texas, United States in 1946.
When did Pilgrim's Pride start?
Pilgrim's Pride was founded in 1946.
How old is Pilgrim's Pride?
Pilgrim's Pride is 80 years old as of 2026.
In-Depth Analysis
178 words · 1 min read

From a Texas feed store to JBS ownership

Aubrey and Bo Pilgrim bought a feed store in Pittsburg, Texas, in 1946 and began supplying chicks to farmers and buying back grown birds. That vertically integrated model now spans breeder flocks, hatcheries, feed mills and processing plants. After the 2007 Gold Kist takeover left the company highly leveraged, rising feed costs pushed it into Chapter 11 in December 2008. JBS bought a 64% stake for $800 million in 2009 and now owns about 82%.

Price-fixing case

Pilgrim's pleaded guilty to a federal chicken price-fixing charge and was fined about $107.9 million in 2021. Former CEOs Jayson Penn and Bill Lovette were acquitted in 2022.

2025 record and 2026 downturn

Pilgrim's earned $1.08 billion on $18.50 billion of 2025 net sales. In Q2 2026 net sales slipped 2.8% to $4.63 billion, but GAAP net income fell to $13.2 million as U.S. jumbo cutout values dropped more than 25%. Prepared foods and the Just Bare brand kept growing, and a new prepared foods plant in Walker County, Georgia is under construction.

Table of Contents

Pilgrim's Pride Corporation Key Facts

CompanyPilgrim's Pride Corporation
Annual revenue change+3.5% (FY2024–FY2025)
Financials$18.5B (FY2025, last reviewed October 2026)
Market Cap$7.2B
FY2025 net income$1.1B
Last reviewedBy Swet Parvadiya, Founder & Editor - October 2026
Founded1946
Founder(s)Lonnie 'Bo' Pilgrim, Aubrey Pilgrim
CEOFabio Sandri
HeadquartersGreeley, Colorado
IndustryPoultry and Prepared Foods
Employees63,000+
TickerPPC

Pilgrim's Pride Company Profile: Revenue, Business Model & Strategy

"Pilgrim's Pride sold $18.50 billion of chicken, pork and prepared foods in 2025 and earned $1.08 billion, yet its Q2 2026 GAAP profit fell 96% to $13.2 million as chicken prices dropped, a clear illustration of how commodity cycles drive the business."

Why Pilgrim's Pride Corporation Wins

Pilgrim's Pride wins through integrated poultry scale, JBS ownership, foodservice relationships, prepared foods, and disciplined production management.

Pilgrim's Pride Corporation operates in a competitive market alongside Tyson Foods, Inc., Hormel Foods Corporation, Conagra Brands, Inc.. Analysts frequently compare Pilgrim's Pride Corporation and Tyson Foods, Inc. due to their overlapping products, target markets, and strategic positioning. See full comparison →

Pilgrim's Pride is a JBS-controlled chicken and prepared foods company headquartered in Greeley, Colorado. It reported $18.50 billion in FY2025 net sales and $1.08 billion in net income, employs about 63,000 people and is led by CEO Fabio Sandri.

Revenue

$18.5B

Founded

1946

Employees

63K+

Market Cap

$7.2B

Author: CorpDigest Research DeskCompany Research

Key Facts

  • Founded: Pilgrim's Pride Corporation was established in 1946 and is headquartered in Greeley, Colorado.
  • Revenue: Pilgrim's Pride Corporation had $18.5B in annual revenue (FY2025).
  • Valuation: Market capitalization of approximately $7.2B.
  • Scale: Pilgrim's Pride Corporation employs 63,000 people globally.
  • Business Model: Pilgrim's Pride makes money by raising, processing and selling chicken and, in Europe, pork and prepared meals.
  • Competitive Edge: Pilgrim's advantage is scale combined with portfolio spread.

How Pilgrim's Pride Makes Money

Capital Allocation & Scaling Mechanics

Pilgrim's Pride makes money by raising, processing and selling chicken and, in Europe, pork and prepared meals. It owns breeder flocks, hatcheries, feed mills and processing plants, and pays independent contract growers to raise birds in grower-owned houses. Products are sold to restaurant chains, retailers, foodservice distributors and export buyers, with a growing share coming from value-added and branded items such as Just Bare, Pilgrim's, Moy Park, Richmond and Fridge Raiders.

Explore Pilgrim's Pride Corporation In Depth

📅Pilgrim's Pride Corporation History & Milestones💼How Pilgrim's Pride Corporation Makes Money📊Pilgrim's Pride Corporation Revenue & Financials⚔️Pilgrim's Pride Corporation Competitive Strategy & SWOT👤Pilgrim's Pride Corporation Founders & Origin Story🏆Pilgrim's Pride Corporation CEO History & Leadership🤝Pilgrim's Pride Corporation Acquisitions & Deals

What Is Pilgrim's Pride Corporation's Growth Strategy?

Pilgrim's growth plan centres on value-added and branded products and on capacity tied to large customers. Projects in 2026 include a new prepared foods plant in Walker County, Georgia, added deboning capacity in Ellijay, Georgia for the small-bird segment, and a live-operations ramp-up in Mexico's Southern Peninsula. In Europe it is pushing branded meals and snacks such as Rollover and Fridge Raiders.

How Much Revenue Does Pilgrim's Pride Generate?

Revenue grew from $9.88 billion in 2016 to $18.50 billion in 2025, but profits are far more volatile than sales. Net income dropped to $31 million in 2021, a year that included antitrust-related charges, then reached $1.09 billion in 2024 and $1.08 billion in 2025. In the first half of 2026 net sales were $9.16 billion, about flat, but adjusted EBITDA fell 45% to $668 million as U.S. commodity chicken prices declined. Net leverage was 1.43x adjusted EBITDA at the end of Q2 2026, below the company's 2x-3x target. Pilgrim's Pride Corporation is one of the absolute largest chicken producers in the United States and Puerto Rico, commanding a market valuation typically over $8 billion while operating as a majority-owned subsidiary of JBS S.A.

Financial MetricEstimated Value (2026)
Market Capitalization$7.2B
Employee Count63,000 +
Latest Annual Revenue$18.5B (FY2025)

Historical Revenue Chart

Pilgrim's Pride Corporation Annual Revenue History

All figures in USD.

Fiscal YearRevenue FigureYoY Change
FY2016$9.9BN/A
FY2017$10.8B+9.0%
FY2018$10.9B+1.6%
FY2019$11.4B+4.3%
FY2020$12.1B+6.0%
FY2021$14.8B+22.2%
FY2022$17.5B+18.2%
FY2023$17.4B-0.6%
FY2024$17.9B+3.0%
FY2025$18.5B+3.5%

The source for each year is listed on the Pilgrim's Pride Corporation financials page.

Core Strength

JBS ownership gives Pilgrim's access to global protein knowledge, export relationships, and capital-allocation support.

Key Weakness

Feed costs, flock health, labor, and commodity poultry pricing can move margins quickly.

Deep Dive into Pilgrim's Pride Corporation SWOT Analysis

Who Are Pilgrim's Pride Corporation's Main Competitors?

Pilgrim's Pride operates in the absolutely massive, highly consolidated global poultry processing oligopoly, fiercely battling Tyson Foods and Perdue Farms in the United States. Following a massive bankruptcy in 2008 due to crushing feed costs, the company was aggressively acquired by JBS S.A. (the Brazilian meat titan), completely saving it from collapse. Pilgrim's Pride operates a highly brutal, volume-driven business model, operating massive slaughterhouses and processing plants. The company's absolute primary struggle is escaping the brutal 'commodity trap' of selling raw chicken by aggressively expanding its high-margin 'prepared foods' division in Europe and Mexico. The entire industry is currently operating under intense federal scrutiny following massive DOJ price-fixing indictments.

Top CompetitorsHead-to-Head Analysis
Tyson Foods, Inc.Compare vs Tyson Foods, Inc.→

What Is Pilgrim's Pride Corporation's Full Historical Timeline?

Historical Timeline & Strategic Pivots

Key Milestones

1946 - Pilgrim's Founded

Aubrey and Lonnie 'Bo' Pilgrim buy a feed store in Pittsburg, Texas, the start of what becomes Pilgrim's Pride.

1966 - Bo Pilgrim Becomes CEO

Bo Pilgrim becomes CEO after his brother and co-founder Aubrey's death, leading the company's growth into a major national poultry processor.

1986 - IPO

Pilgrim's Pride lists its shares on the New York Stock Exchange.

2003 -

Pilgrim's Pride bought the chicken division of ConAgra Foods in 2003.

2007 - Gold Kist Acquisition

Pilgrim's Pride acquires Gold Kist for about $1.3 billion, expanding US poultry-processing scale.

2008 - Chapter 11 Filing

The company files for bankruptcy protection during a severe poultry-industry downturn.

2009 - JBS Investment

JBS buys a 64% stake for $800 million as Pilgrim's exits Chapter 11; its stake later rises to about 82%.

2017 - Moy Park Acquisition

Pilgrim's expands its European platform by acquiring Moy Park, adding UK and continental European poultry operations.

2019 - Tulip Ltd Acquisition

Pilgrim's adds UK pork and prepared-foods capability through the Tulip Ltd acquisition, deepening its European protein platform.

2021 -

Pilgrim's Pride pleaded guilty in February 2021 to a US price-fixing charge and agreed to pay about $107.9 million.

2025 - FY2025 Results

Pilgrim's Pride reports $18.50 billion of net sales and $1.08 billion of net income.

2026 - Q2 2026 profit drop

Q2 2026 net sales were $4.63 billion and GAAP net income $13.2 million, down from $356.0 million, as U.S.

Risks & Weaknesses

Analytical Assessment

Primary Risk Factor

The biggest risk is that disease outbreaks, feed inflation, labor issues, or commodity poultry cycles compress margins.

Risk assessment based on public filings, SWOT analysis, and verified industry data. Not financial advice.

How Did Pilgrim's Pride Start and Grow?

Established

1946

Fiscal Revenue (FY2025)

$18.5B

Workforce

63K+

HQ Location

Greeley, Colorado

Explore Pilgrim's Pride In Depth

Detailed research across every dimension of Pilgrim's Pride — history, financials, leadership, and strategy.

Company History

Pilgrim's Pride controls the full chicken production chain, from breeder flocks and feed mills to processing and packaging, and sells in three reporting segments: U.S., Europe and Mexico. The U.S.

Full Pilgrim's Pride history →

Revenue & Financials

Pilgrim's Pride had $18.5B in revenue for fiscal year 2025. Data covers 10 fiscal years. Market capitalization stands at approximately $7B.

Pilgrim's Pride financials →

Founders

Pilgrim's Pride was founded by Lonnie 'Bo' Pilgrim, Aubrey Pilgrim in 1946. Explore each founder's background, motivations, and their role in building the company.

Pilgrim's Pride founders →

CEO & Leadership

Pilgrim's Pride is currently led by Fabio Sandri. Explore the full CEO history — leadership transitions, tenures, and the strategic decisions of each chief executive.

Pilgrim's Pride CEO history →

Business Model

Pilgrim's Pride makes money by raising, processing and selling chicken and, in Europe, pork and prepared meals. It owns breeder flocks, hatcheries, feed mills and processing plants, and pays independent contract growers…

How Pilgrim's Pride makes money →

Acquisitions

Pilgrim's Pride has completed 6 documented acquisitions. Explore the full acquisition history and strategic rationale behind each deal.

Pilgrim's Pride acquisitions →

Competitive Strategy

Pilgrim's growth plan centres on value-added and branded products and on capacity tied to large customers. Projects in 2026 include a new prepared foods plant in Walker County, Georgia, added deboning capacity in…

Pilgrim's Pride strategy →

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 Research Profile

Our analysts compile business strategy profiles from public financial filings, press releases, and analyst reports. Each profile is reviewed for accuracy before publication by our editorial desk and updated on a rolling basis.

About the Author →Our Methodology →

Frequently Asked Questions About Pilgrim's Pride

How does Pilgrim's Pride make money?

Pilgrim's Pride makes money by raising, processing and selling chicken, plus pork and prepared meals in Europe. It owns hatcheries, feed mills and plants, pays contract growers to raise birds, and sells to restaurant chains, supermarkets, distributors and export buyers. FY2025 net sales were $18.50 billion.

Who owns Pilgrim's Pride?

JBS, the Brazil-based meat company, owns about 82% of Pilgrim's Pride's common stock. JBS became controlling shareholder in 2009 when it bought a 64% stake for $800 million as Pilgrim's left bankruptcy. The rest trades publicly on Nasdaq under the ticker PPC.

Who is the CEO of Pilgrim's Pride?

Fabio Sandri is President and CEO. He joined as CFO in 2011, became interim CEO in June 2020 and was named permanent CEO in September 2020. Matt Galvanoni is CFO.

Who are Pilgrim's Pride's competitors?

Main competitors are Tyson Foods, Wayne-Sanderson Farms, Perdue Farms, Koch Foods, Mountaire and Foster Farms in the U.S., 2 Sisters Food Group in the U.K., and Bachoco in Mexico.

How much revenue does Pilgrim's Pride make?

Pilgrim's Pride reported FY2025 net sales of $18.50 billion, up 3.5% from $17.88 billion in 2024, with net income of $1.08 billion. In Q2 2026 net sales were $4.63 billion and GAAP net income was $13.2 million.

How many employees does Pilgrim's Pride have?

Pilgrim's Pride had about 63,000 employees at the end of 2025 across the U.S., Europe and Mexico.

What brands does Pilgrim's Pride own?

Brands include Pilgrim's, Just Bare and Gold'n Plump in the U.S., Moy Park, Richmond, Fridge Raiders and Rollover in the U.K. and Europe, and Pilgrim's and Del Dia in Mexico.

Where is Pilgrim's Pride headquartered?

Pilgrim's Pride is headquartered in Greeley, Colorado, alongside JBS USA. The company was founded in Pittsburg, Texas.

Does JBS own Pilgrim's Pride?

Yes, JBS S.A., the massive Brazilian meat processing giant, purchased a majority stake (over 80%) of Pilgrim's Pride in 2009 after Pilgrim's Pride filed for bankruptcy.

Who founded Pilgrim's Pride?

The company was founded in 1946 by brothers Aubrey Pilgrim and Bo Pilgrim, originally starting with just one feed store in Pittsburg, Texas.

Analysis: How Pilgrim's Pride Corporation Makes Money

Deep dive into the Pilgrim's Pride Corporation business model, revenue streams, and strategic moats in 2026.

Competitor Benchmarking

Pilgrim's Pride Corporation vs Tyson Foods, Inc.

Compare

Financial data on this page is sourced from SEC EDGAR filings, official earnings releases, and verified press statements. Revenue figures are reviewed and updated periodically. Read our full data methodology ->

Primary source: www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/802481/000080248126000011/pp

Explore More Brand Histories

This corporate intelligence report on Pilgrim's Pride Corporation compiles data from verified filings. Explore more detailed brand histories and company histories in the global Poultry and Prepared Foods marketplace.

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Editorial Methodology

Company Research

We use company filings, annual reports, company statements and press reports, with primary sources preferred where available. Each financial row shows its recorded source. Full-year figures are separated from annualized run-rates, partial periods and forecasts; unaudited figures carry a label. Source detail varies by company, so check the linked material when the reporting basis matters.

1. Primary Sources

Public companies may provide filings and annual reports. Private-company figures may come from statements or press coverage. A missing figure stays missing, and a source link should identify where its number came from.

2. Expert Curation

We organize company records and review claims for strategic context, source quality and clarity. Pages show a review date where one is recorded.

3. Multi-Pass Audit

Technical checks flag inconsistent figures and missing links. Editorial review of the underlying source remains necessary for claims those checks cannot verify.

Swet Parvadiya
SEC filings & public records methodology
Sourced from public financial records

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History & FailuresTimeline, setbacks, and key milestonesBusiness ModelHow they make money and market productsFinancialsRevenue history and fiscal metricsCompetitive StrategyRivals, benchmarks, and SWOT analysis

Sources & References

The data and narrative synthesized in this intelligence report were verified against primary sources:

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Content is for informational purposes only. Not financial advice. Data sourced from SEC filings, annual reports, and public records. See our full disclaimer and methodology.