Wayne-Sanderson Farms

What Wayne-Sanderson Farms does

Wayne-Sanderson Farms is the third-largest poultry producer in the United States, formed in 2022 through the merger of Wayne Farms and Sanderson Farms. Headquartered in Oakwood, Georgia, the company operates a vertically integrated production model spanning hatcheries, feed mills, live-production farms, and 23-24 fresh and further-processing facilities across seven southeastern states (Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Texas). The company employs more than 27,000 people and partners with over 2,000 family farms; its supply chain includes ~1,986 farms across broilers, breeders, and pullets, with roughly 48% of growers in 10+ year relationships.

The company's product portfolio includes 12+ registered consumer brands spanning both fresh and prepared poultry: Sanderson Farms (core retail natural fresh chicken), Wayne-Sanderson Farms (foodservice corporate brand), Wayne Farms (legacy fresh), Harrison Golden Goodness (premium marigold-fed), and prepared-foods brands including Kosmic Krunch, Buffaloos, Fly'n Saucers, Crispy Fliers, Covington Farms, Naked Truth, Platinum Harvest, and Chef's Craft. Distribution runs through three primary channels: retail grocery (Sanderson Farms, Naked Truth, Covington Farms), foodservice and industrial/institutional (direct enterprise sales), and export to 135 countries via channel partner AJC International, with halal distribution handled by Halal Transactions of Omaha and HalalCo.

Revenue is generated almost entirely through product sales of fresh and prepared poultry, reaching $8.7 billion in fiscal year 2025 on roughly 18% year-over-year growth. The go-to-market is enterprise field sales supplemented by channel partners for export and halal; pricing is not publicly disclosed. Supporting technical infrastructure includes ISO/IEC 17025 and USDA ALP-accredited corporate laboratories, HACCP programs, a Customer Innovation Center in Decatur, Alabama, biogas-driven energy self-generation from wastewater treatment (329,000+ MMBTUs in 2022 powering Waco, Palestine, and Hammond complexes for a year), and 50% landfill recycling offset, 15% water reuse, and 10% GHG intensity reduction achieved in 2023.

Name

Wayne-Sanderson Farms

Legal name

Wayne-Sanderson Farms

Website

https://waynesandersonfarms.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Wayne-Sanderson Farms is the third-largest U.S. poultry producer, vertically producing and selling fresh and prepared chicken under 12+ consumer brands to retail, foodservice, industrial, and export channels across seven states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fresh and Prepared Poultry Products

NAICS

Poultry Processing (311615), Broilers and Other Meat Type Chicken Production (11232), Animal Slaughtering and Processing (3116)

SIC

Poultry Slaughtering And Processing (2015), Food And Kindred Products (2000), Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200)

akta.pro primary industry

Poultry Processing & Packing (AFAKALAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Broiler Processing (Whole Bird, Parts, Further Processing) (AFANACAI), Ground & Formed Poultry Products (Ground, Sausages, Formed Portions) (AFANACAE), Poultry Wholesale (Whole Birds, Parts) (AFAIADAC), Broiler (Meat Chicken) Feed (AFADACAA), Organic & Pasture-Raised Poultry & Egg Production (AFAEADAJ)

Keywords

• Poultry production
• Fresh chicken products
• Prepared poultry foods
• Foodservice distribution
• Vertically integrated poultry

Headquarters

HQ city

Oakwood

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices25 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Poultry Product Sales: Wayne-Sanderson Farms generates revenue primarily through the production and sale of fresh and prepared poultry products, sold under multiple consumer brands to retail, foodservice, restaurant, industrial, and institutional customers. The company saw a sales increase of nearly 18%, reaching $8.7 billion in fiscal year 2025.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Wayne-Sanderson Farms is a vertically integrated poultry producer that breeds, raises, processes, and markets fresh and prepared chicken products under 12+ consumer brands. It sells to retail grocery chains, foodservice operators, restaurant chains, industrial food manufacturers, institutional buyers, and international export distributors across 135 countries, with operations spanning 24 processing facilities and over 2,000 family farm partners in the southeastern United States.

Product overview

Wayne-Sanderson Farms is the third-largest poultry producer in the United States, offering a diversified portfolio of 9+ fresh and prepared poultry brands. The company operates as a vertically integrated poultry business spanning from hatchery to processing. The portfolio includes Sanderson Farms® (core fresh retail brand), Wayne-Sanderson Farms® (foodservice brand), Wayne Farms® (legacy fresh brand), Harrison Golden Goodness (acquired premium brand), and prepared foods brands including Kosmic Krunch®, Covington Farms®, Naked Truth®, Buffaloos®, Fly'n Saucers®, Crispy Fliers®, Platinum Harvest®, and Chef's Craft®. Products are sold through retail (fresh chicken) and foodservice (prepared foods) channels across 23-24 processing facilities in seven states.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sanderson Farms: Good, honest chicken. 100% natural, fresh, and never frozen.
• Harrison Golden Goodness
• Kosmic Krunch
• Buffaloos
• Fly'n Saucers
• Crispy Fliers
• Covington Farms
• Naked Truth
• Platinum Harvest
• Chef's Craft
• Wayne Farms

Products and services

• Sanderson Farms
• Wayne-Sanderson Farms
• Wayne Farms
• Harrison Golden Goodness
• Kosmic Krunch
• Buffaloos
• Fly'n Saucers
• Crispy Fliers
• Covington Farms
• Naked Truth
• Platinum Harvest
• Chef's Craft
• Fresh Products Category
• Prepared Foods Category
• Halal Products

Quantifiable outcome

• Sales increased nearly 18% to $8.7 billion in fiscal year 2025, driven by consumer preference for affordable chicken and increased demand.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• Mississippi State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 May 2026Wayne-Sanderson Farms has contributed $1 million in combined funding and equipment support for MSU's new modular poultry feed mill at the H. H. Leveck Animal Research Center. The facility will support research, nutrition trials, and hands-on student training. Darrin Poole, Corporate Manager of Feed Mill Quality Assurance, serves on the Feed Mill Advisory Board Executive Committee.
• AJC InternationalcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 8 April 2026AJC International has served as Wayne-Sanderson Farms' export partner for nearly 20 years. With 16 global offices and over 350 employees, AJC exports Wayne-Sanderson Farms products to 135 countries around the world.
• Halal Transactions of OmahacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 8 April 2026Halal Transactions of Omaha serves as a halal distribution partner for Wayne-Sanderson Farms products, handling halal certification and distribution to Muslim-majority markets. Combined with HalalCo, the partnership represents over 40 years of halal food industry experience and over 100 employees.
• HalalCocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 8 April 2026HalalCo serves as a halal distribution partner for Wayne-Sanderson Farms, with over 20 years of experience in the halal food industry. Combined with Halal Transactions of Omaha, the partnership employs over 100 talented individuals serving halal market needs.
• Pendergrass, Georgia CommunityminorOthers · 31 March 2026Wayne-Sanderson Farms was recognized for its safety culture in Pendergrass, Georgia, where Neena Kao received the Frank Cruice Innovation in Safety & Health Award for her leadership and the team's dedication to building a strong safety culture.
• American Cancer SocietycoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 15 October 2025Wayne-Sanderson Farms Decatur Prepared Foods Complex has been a longstanding partner of the American Cancer Society, raising over $1.8 million lifetime and earning Legacy Team status. The 2025 Relay for Life contribution reached a record $137,000. The company also sponsors quarterly survivor events and ACS community initiatives.
• Relay for Life of Morgan CountyminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 15 October 2025Wayne-Sanderson Farms Decatur Prepared Foods Complex hosts monthly employee fundraisers including raffles, T-shirt sales, and concession food items for the Relay for Life of Morgan County, Alabama, raising record amounts for the American Cancer Society.
• Jenny Bae (LPGA Golfer)flagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 6 October 2025Wayne-Sanderson Farms sponsors LPGA Tour professional golfer Jenny Bae, whose family has been a farm partner raising chickens for the company for over a decade. The company produced a short-form documentary 'Farm to Fairway' profiling her journey from Georgia poultry farm to the LPGA Tour, serving as a brand storytelling vehicle.
• Southeastern Conference (SEC)flagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 14 July 2025Wayne-Sanderson Farms entered a multi-year sponsorship as the 'Official Chicken of the Southeastern Conference (SEC),' one of the nation's premier collegiate athletic conferences. The partnership includes TV, social media, gameday activations, new packaging, and tailgate recipes across football, basketball, gymnastics, baseball, and other sports, leveraging the company's deep roots in SEC Country.
• Century Club CharitiesflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 December 2024Wayne-Sanderson Farms has been title sponsor of the Sanderson Farms Championship (PGA TOUR event) since 2013. The tournament has generated over $18.95 million for Friends of Children's Hospital and other Mississippi charities. Century Club Charities organizes the annual event benefiting Children's of Mississippi and over 70 other state charities.
• Friends of Children's HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 December 2024Beneficiary of the Sanderson Farms Championship, receiving over $1 million from the 2024 tournament and over $18.95 million cumulatively since 2013. The organization supports the University of Mississippi Medical Center's pediatric healthcare mission including Children's of Mississippi hospital.
• M&M Volunteer Fire DepartmentminorOthers · 26 November 2024Wayne-Sanderson Farms donated a specially-outfitted Ford F350 rescue truck to the Jones County M&M Volunteer Fire Department in Mississippi, replacing the department's aging rescue vehicle. The donation freed up budget for turnout gear, rescue equipment, and other department needs.

Scale indicators22 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Koch Foods: Privately held U.S. poultry integrator with fresh and further-processed products sold through retail, foodservice, and export channels. Directly comparable in scale tier, channel mix, and private ownership profile to Wayne-Sanderson.
• Peco Foods: Privately held, vertically integrated poultry producer serving foodservice and retail customers across the southeastern U.S. Comparable scale and go-to-market to Wayne-Sanderson, with overlapping regional presence in Mississippi and Alabama.
• Perdue Farms: Privately held, vertically integrated U.S. poultry producer with premier premium/natural positioning (Perdue, Harvestland, Perdue Perfect Portions). Comparable in private status, vertical integration, and emphasis on premium and value-added prepared poultry.
• Pilgrim's Pride: Second-largest U.S. poultry producer (JBS USA subsidiary) operating a vertically integrated broiler platform with strong foodservice exposure. Closely comparable business model and channel mix, and the principal direct scale competitor to Wayne-Sanderson in both retail and foodservice poultry.
• Foster Farms: Privately held, family-owned West Coast poultry producer with vertically integrated operations across fresh, prepared, and deli categories. Comparable on private ownership and full vertical integration, with overlapping retail/foodservice go-to-market.
• Mountaire Farms: Privately held, vertically integrated poultry producer with both retail and foodservice brands and significant East Coast / Mid-Atlantic processing capacity. Closely matches Wayne-Sanderson on private ownership, integration, and customer segmentation.
• Simmons Foods: Privately held, vertically integrated poultry producer selling fresh and prepared chicken products to foodservice and retail customers. Comparable on integration model and channel mix, with concentration in the southern/central U.S.
• House of Raeford Farms: Privately held, vertically integrated poultry producer focused on the southeastern U.S. with fresh and further-processed products. Directly overlaps Wayne-Sanderson's regional footprint and customer channels.
• George's Inc. Privately held, vertically integrated poultry producer serving retail and foodservice channels with fresh and prepared chicken. Operates in a comparable scale tier and geographic footprint (southern/central U.S.) to Wayne-Sanderson Farms.

Broad incumbents

• Tyson Foods: Largest U.S. poultry producer and broadly diversified protein company with overlapping fresh, prepared, and foodservice poultry portfolios. Compares directly to Wayne-Sanderson on category and customer base, while operating at significantly larger scale across multiple proteins.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WS_Farms
• Facebookfacebook.com/WayneSandersonFarms
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/waynesandersonfarms
• Instagraminstagram.com/waynesandersonfarms

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles20 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Wayne-Sanderson Farms