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Agriculture 2025: JOHN KING
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 565 people and has 165 member-growers; 100% of VPGC’s pr[...]
Agriculture 2025: PRESTON D. WIGNER
Wigner took the helm at Universal in October 2024, succeeding George C. Freeman, who retired after 16 years of running the world’s leading supplier of leaf tobacco. Wigner, who joined Universal in 2003, was appointed the agriproducts company’s senior vice president in 2023, as part of a succession planning process. Previously, he’d served as the […]
Agriculture 2025: SCOTT E. SINK
The Virginia Farm Bureau Federation has new leadership for the first time in 18 years. During the December 2024 annual meeting, voting delegates picked Sink as the leader of the state’s largest farmers’ advocacy group after Wayne Pryor decided not to seek re-election at the end of his ninth term. Growing up on a multigenerat[...]
Agriculture 2025: GUM, DAVID
National Fruit Product Co. sells apple products ranging from applesauce to juice to vinegar, mostly under the White House Foods label. In an October 2024 episode of the “Conversations on Leadership with Dr. Dave” podcast, Gum said much of the operation is automated and that the company has about 150 employees. National Frui[...]
Agriculture 2025: CORWIN HEATWOLE
Sixth-generation chicken farmer Heatwole started his humane, sustainable and traceable chicken company in 2014. Originally named Shenandoah Valley Organic but rebranded as Farmer Focus in 2020, the company lets farmers own their flocks, make key decisions and receive fair compensation. Farmer Focus has more than 120 farming part[...]
Agriculture 2025: NEIL A. HOUFF
Starting as a liquid fertilizer business on a Shenandoah family farm in 1975, Houff Corp. grew to provide a range of agricultural and industrial services, including agronomy, supply chain solutions, transloading and biosolids management. Houff, who earned an agriculture education degree from Virginia Tech, has been the corporati[...]
Agriculture 2025: SHANE SMITH
Smith became CEO and president of Smithfield Foods in 2021, just as the world’s largest pork product manufacturer and hog producer announced an end to slaughter operations in its hometown of Smithfield, the country’s self- proclaimed “ham capital.” In January, Smithfield launched its initial public offering of 26 million[...]
Agriculture 2025: MATTHEW J. LOHR
With a combined annual economic impact of more than $105 billion, agriculture and forestry provide more than 490,000 jobs in Virginia. Lohr’s office and its three agencies oversee these industries among other duties, including supporting rural economic development. Virginia’s secretary of agriculture and forestry since Janu[...]
