Industry icon Lonnie ‘Bo’ Pilgrim died at home on Friday, July 21 in Pittsburg, Texas, surrounded by his family. He was 89. Bo was co-founder and longtime chairman and CEO of Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation and Chairman Emeritus of Pilgrim Bank in the heart of Pittsburg.
“Few, if any, poultry pioneers have marked the industry with such a lasting and unique impact as did Mr. Pilgrim,” said NCC President Mike Brown in a statement. “His passion and devotion to his business, his faith, and the National Chicken Council continue to inspire many. Mr. Pilgrim’s passing encourages us to reflect on a life well-lived. Bo and his family are in our thoughts and prayers,” Brown said.
Pilgrim’s origins date back to 1946 when Audrey Pilgrim, Bo’s older brother, and his partner Pat Johns purchased a Pittsburg feed and seed store. Bo joined their efforts and the company expanded to Mt. Pleasant.
In the early days, the Pilgrims would sell 100 baby chicks and a a sack of feed to local farmers, who would take the chicks home and raise them in their back yards, keeping some for the family and bringing back the remaining grown birds. Selling baby chicks to drive feed sales was one of the several innovative ideas that later would lead to the “vertical integration” model of poultry production used today by major poultry companies.
The company grew as opportunities came in the form of acquisitions and capital improvements. The first major expansion came in the 1950s, when the Pilgrim brothers purchased the Hudson Cotton Gin and a hatchery in Mt. Pleasant. They leased their first chicken-processing plant in Mt. Pleasant in 1960. Audrey’s death in 1966, pushed Bo into leadership as the company’s head. Bo Pilgrim later passed the reins of the company to his son Ken, but still retained a role in the company.
Bo Pilgrim, in his iconic pilgrim-style hat, appeared in countless advertisements making his company’s brand instantly recognizable for consumers. His likeness remains on a larger-than-life bust just outside the former Pilgrim’s Pride headquarters between Pittsburg and Mount Pleasant.
Pilgrim’s was acquired by Brazil’s JBS S.A. in 2009 and is now headquarters in Greeley, Colorado. Pilgrim’s Pride, with 35,700 employees, is today headed by CEO Bill Lovette, who accepted the position in 2011. The company has operations in 14 U.S. states as well as in Mexico and Puerto Rico. The company today works with more than 4,000 family farms throughout the United States and Mexico and has the capacity to process more than 34 million birds per week for a total of more than 10 billion pounds annually.
“On behalf of the Pilgrim’s and JBS teams, we offer our sincere condolences to the friends and family of Lonnie ‘Bo’ Pilgrim. Today’s poultry industry was built on the foundation of men like Mr. Pilgrim. He was a true icon and his loss will resonate throughout our company and our industry,” JBS said in a statement.
A memorial service was held on Wednesday at the First Baptist Church in Pittsburg, Texas. The family requests donations be made to either the American Heart Association, 7272 Greenville Avenue, Dallas TX 75231 or the Patty and Bo Pilgrim Cancer Center, 2101 Mulberry Avenue, Mt. Pleasant, Texas 75455.
He is survived by his wife of 61 years Patty R. Pilgrim of Pittsburg, sons and daughters-in-law Ken and Donna Pilgrim and Pat and Anne Pilgrim; daughter and son-in-law Greta and Bill Hewnson; six grandchildren; and three great grandchildren and sister Sue Hester Kellam.
