In one year, bird flu struck Hickman’s Family Farms three times, millions of hens were lost and now the company is being sold. This will end more than 80 years of Arizona-based ownership.
Back in May, the company said it would take two years to rebuild its flock after several bouts of bird flu.
Now, President and CEO Glenn Hickman is handing over the keys to a new owner: Mantiqueira USA.
According to WATT Poultry, the new owners are a joint venture between a Brazilian egg producer and the meat processing company JBS. The U.S. arm of the venture will be based in Colorado.
"It’s a 100% buyout so the family will not own any portion of the business but I think that we’re going to be here for quite some time helping to run and manage and integrate it into their umbrella," Hickman said.
Hickman also said the workers will stay on board.
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