USPOULTRY held its annual International Production and Processing Expo (IPPE) in Georgia this week. Throughout the event, the association presented awards for notable industry achievements.
Industry Workhorse of the Year: The award is presented annually to recognize outstanding service and leadership in the U.S. Poultry Association and the poultry industry as a whole. This year, Clint Rivers, the President, CEO, and Chairman of the Board of Wayne-Sanderson, received this honor. Mr. Rivers brings 43 years of experience in operations and management, having previously held senior positions at prominent poultry producers such as Foodservice, Perdue Farms, and Pilgrim’s Pride before joining Wayne-Sanderson in 2012.
Dr. Charles Beard Research Excellence Award: Dr. Nelson Cox was posthumously recognized as the recipient of this prestigious award. He worked as a research microbiologist for the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service. Dr. Cox was honored for his exceptional research focused on improving food safety within the poultry industry. He served as the principal investigator for a USPOULTRY-funded project titled “Identifying Intestinal Microflora Associated with Feed Conversion Efficiency.” Additionally, he was a co-investigator on two other USPOULTRY projects: “Salmonella and Campylobacter Contamination of Turkeys, from Breeders to Processed Carcasses” and “Validation of In Vivo Selective Cultivation of Probiotic Communities via Serial Transplants of the Chicken Cecal Microbiome.” Kenni Beam accepted the award on behalf of Dr. Cox, which included a $1,500 cash prize that will be donated to the Nelson A. Cox Graduate Student Scholarship in Poultry Food Safety.
USPoultry Lamplighter Award: USPOULTRY presented its annual Lamplighter Award to five individuals during the IPPE event. This award honors individuals for their “sustained and exemplary service” to the poultry and egg industry. This year’s recipients were Dr. Steve Bolden, Paul Bredwell, Dr. Frederic Hoerr, John Pierson, and Gregg Watt.
Best of the Best Award: The 2025 IPPE honored three exhibitors with the New Product Showcase “Best of the Best” award. This award recognizes outstanding exhibitors for their innovative technology in products, services, or operating techniques that significantly advance the industry. BinSentry was awarded “Best of the Best” in the Animal Food category for their Prosense HD system, which provides precise, real-time 3D readings of bins and silos. This technology enables immediate identification and management of issues such as inventory shrinkage. Sephnos received the “Best of the Best” award in the Live Production category for their VANGUARD automatic feeder for chickens. This advanced feeder technology allows for better distribution of feed and reduces food waste. STOBER Drives was recognized as “Best of the Best” in the Processing category for their cLEAN System. This system is designed to eliminate premature failure caused by water ingress and is certified IP69K and IP68. Additionally, it boasts an IE5 energy efficiency rating and is engineered to meet EHEDG standards.
Family Farm Excellence: The USPOULTRY has recognized three poultry farms nominated for the annual Family Farm Environmental Excellence Award at IPPE. This award is presented each year to acknowledge outstanding environmental stewardship by family farmers involved in poultry and egg production. The winner of the State Poultry Association Nomination was Holden Farms, located in Obion County, Tennessee. The winner of the South Central Region was Lakeview Poultry LLC, based in Versailles, Missouri. The winner of the Southwest Region was MBK Farms, situated in Colcord, Oklahoma.
Frank Cruice Innovation in Safety and Health Award: The Joint Industry Safety & Health Council honored six poultry facilities with the Frank Cruice Innovation in Safety & Health Award. These facilities were recognized for their notable advancements in operational excellence through safety and health innovations. The facilities that received these awards were: (1) Tyson Foods, Monett, MO, Processing Plant; (2) Case Farms, Winesburg, OH, Processing Plant; (3) Culver Duck Farms, Middlebury, IN, Processing Plant; (4) Farbest Foods, Vincennes, IN, Processing Plant; (5) Darling Ingredients, Las Vegas, NV, Facility; and (6) Perdue Farms, Concord, NC, Processing Facility.
More details on USPOULTRY, IPPE, and their awards can be found here.
