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PRESIDENT, VIRGINIA POULTRY GROWERS COOPERATIVE, HINTON
PRESIDENT, VIRGINIA POULTRY GROWERS COOPERATIVE, HINTON
Virginia Business// August 29, 2024//
After multinational food company Pilgrim’s Pride announced it was closing a Hinton poultry processing plant in 2004 — constituting a major hit to the local economy — Shenandoah Valley turkey growers formed the Virginia Poultry Growers Cooperative.
The co-op employs roughly 500 people and has nearly 200 grower members; 100% of VPGC’s profits go back to its growers. VPGC processes about 7.5 million turkeys a year and was one of the first turkey processors in the nation to offer organic and antibiotic-free products. It completed a three-year, $100 million plant expansion in 2019.
King was involved with the planning and creation of the co-op in 2004. He served as vice president of sales for the co-op before being named general manager in 2014 and president in 2017. King previously worked for ag giants Rocco Foods (now Cargill) and Pilgrim’s Pride. He is a two-time graduate of Radford University and serves on industry-related boards and committees including the National Turkey Federation, the GO Virginia state board and the Center for Rural Virginia.
