SMITHFIELD FOODS INC
Smithfield Foods, Inc., is an American pork producer and food-processing company based in Smithfield, Virginia, and majority owned by Hong Kong based WH Group. Founded in 1936 as the Smithfield Packing Company by Joseph W. Luter and his son, the company is the largest pig and pork producer in the world. In addition to owning over 500 farms in the US, Smithfield contracts with another 2,000 independent farms around the country to raise Smithfield's pigs. Outside the US, the company has facilities in Mexico, Poland, Romania, Germany, Slovakia and the United Kingdom. Globally the company employed 50,200 in 2016 and reported an annual revenue of $14 billion. Its 973,000-square-foot meat-processing plant in Tar Heel, North Carolina, was said in 2000 to be the world's largest, slaughtering 32,000 pigs a day.
Basic company information
Each field links to its source. Financial figures retain their reporting periods; background references are identified in the source list.
- Business sectors
- meatpacking industry; agriculture [1]
- Company / filing name
- SMITHFIELD FOODS INC [2]
- Headquarters location
- Smithfield [1]
- Founded
- 1936 [1]
- Official website
- http://www.smithfieldfoods.com/; https://www.smithfieldfoods.com/ [1]
- ISIN (reported securities)
- US8322482071 [1]
- CIK
- 91388 [2]
- Country in background record
- United States [1]
- Symbols / exchanges
- SFD (Nasdaq) [2]
Company positioning and business
Smithfield Foods, Inc., is an American pork producer and food-processing company based in Smithfield, Virginia, and majority owned by Hong Kong based WH Group. Founded in 1936 as the Smithfield Packing Company by Joseph W. Luter and his son, the company is the largest pig and pork producer in the world. In addition to owning over 500 farms in the US, Smithfield contracts with another 2,000 independent farms around the country to raise Smithfield's pigs. Outside the US, the company has facilities in Mexico, Poland, Romania, Germany, Slovakia and the United Kingdom. Globally the company employed 50,200 in 2016 and reported an annual revenue of $14 billion. Its 973,000-square-foot meat-processing plant in Tar Heel, North Carolina, was said in 2000 to be the world's largest, slaughtering 32,000 pigs a day. [3]
Then known as Shuanghui Group, WH Group purchased Smithfield Foods in 2013 for $4.72 billion. It was the largest Chinese acquisition of an American company to date. The acquisition of Smithfield's 146,000 acres of land made WH Group, headquartered in Luohe, Henan province, one of the largest overseas owners of American farmland. [3]
Smithfield Foods began its growth in 1981 with the purchase of Gwaltney of Smithfield, followed by the acquisition of nearly 40 companies between then and 2008, including Eckrich, Farmland Foods, John Morrell, Murphy Family Farms of North Carolina, Circle Four Farms of Utah, Premium Standard Farms, Nathan's Famous, and Healthy Ones. [3]
Background text: Wikipedia contributors, Smithfield Foods. Selected introductory paragraphs, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Official filing data is cited separately.
Financial year, securities and disclosures
Listed securities: SFD (Nasdaq). Multiple symbols may represent different share classes or securities of the same registrant. [2]
History and key events
Founding / inception date recorded in Wikidata. [1]
Financial results and regulatory disclosures
No individual financial documents have been indexed yet. Open the source to consult company disclosures. [2]
Related entities and concepts
Frequently asked questions
When was SMITHFIELD FOODS INC founded?
Founded: 1936. The linked source provides the background record. [1]
Where is the headquarters of SMITHFIELD FOODS INC?
Headquarters location: Smithfield. The linked source provides the background record. [1]
Which business sectors are recorded for SMITHFIELD FOODS INC?
Business sectors: meatpacking industry; agriculture. The linked source provides the background record. [1]
Sources and review dates
- Wikidata — company background record (CC0) ↗
- Company identity and profile data ↗
- Wikipedia contributors — Smithfield Foods (CC BY-SA 4.0) ↗
Reviewed 23 October 2026. Financial periods and historical event dates are shown separately. Figures reflect their stated source dates; this page is not a live quote or investment recommendation.