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C. Larry Pope, Smithfield Foods' president and chief executive officer, was recently recognized as a Top 100 thought leader in trustworthy business behavior by Trust Across America, a New York-based think tank that seeks to measure and applaud responsible business conduct.
"I'm honored to be recognized by Trust Across America," said C. Larry Pope, "but every one of our employees plays a defining role in producing good food, responsibly. This type of forward thinking has been established through sustainability programs at all levels of our company."
In December, 2011, Smithfield Foods also ranked first on Trust Across America's list of most trustworthy companies. According to a Trust Across America news release, the list was developed by analyzing nearly 2,500 public companies across more than 200 data points with respect to five key corporate indicators of trustworthy business behavior: financial stability and strength, accounting conservativeness, corporate integrity, transparency, and sustainability.
"Trust must be gained, not claimed," said Dennis Treacy, Smithfield Foods' executive vice president and chief sustainability officer. "Over the past decade we've closely examined our company to be certain we deserve trust in the eyes of our employees, customers and consumers as part of our efforts to operate in a responsible and sustainable manner. We view the evolving process as a journey rather than a destination."
"While we are proud of our progress thus far, we know that the hallmark of an effective sustainability program is continuous improvement, which is something we strive for here at Smithfield," Treacy said. "We thank Trust Across America for its work to draw attention to corporate sustainability and the critical role it must play in business today."
January 20, 2012 - Smithfield Foods
