Iowa Beef Packers

Company History: In 1960, Iowa Beef Packers (as it was then known) was founded by Currier Holman and A. D. Anderson with $300,000 in financing from the Small Business Administration, rather than a traditional bank. They built a completely new plant in Dennison, Iowa, close to big feedlots and cheap energy sources. The sprawling plant was all on one floor so that the beef carcasses could be moved around on conveyers. Immediately after the animal was killed, the beef was refrigerated and the rest of the process was done in the cold. That reduced the shrinkage of the meat from dehydration.

IBP was acquired by Tyson Foods in 2001 for US$3.2 billion in cash and stock. Tyson continues to use the IBP name as a brand for its commodity beef and pork products.

Successor/Parent History: Tyson Foods, Inc. is an American multinational corporation based in Springdale, Arkansas, that operates in the food industry. The company is the world's second largest processor and marketer of chicken, beef, and pork after JBS S.A. and annually exports the largest percentage of beef out of the United States. Together with its subsidiaries, it operates major food brands, including Jimmy Dean, Hillshire Farm, Ball Park, Wright Brand, Aidells, and State Fair. Tyson Foods ranked No. 80 in the 2018 Fortune 500 list of the largest United States corporations by total revenue.

Brief History: The U.S. is a country of 50 states covering a vast swath of North America, with Alaska in the northwest and Hawaii extending the nation’s presence into the Pacific Ocean. Major Atlantic Coast cities are New York, a global finance and culture center, and capital Washington, DC. Midwestern metropolis Chicago is known for influential architecture and on the west coast, Los Angeles' Hollywood is famed for filmmaking.