LAUREL, Miss.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sanderson Farms, Inc. (NASDAQ: SAFM) today announced that Charles W. (“Tex”) Ritter, Jr. has informed the Company that he will retire from the Sanderson Farms’ Board of Directors when his current term ends at the 2017 annual shareholders’ meeting.
“Tex Ritter joined Sanderson Farms’ Board of Directors in 1988 and is the longest serving Board member,” stated Joe F. Sanderson, Jr., chairman and chief executive officer of Sanderson Farms, Inc. “He has been a valued advisor to Sanderson Farms for many years, and the Company has experienced tremendous success and growth under his 28 years of leadership. Not only has his advice and counsel as a Board member and Chairman of the Audit Committee contributed to the Company’s success, but the example in leadership, integrity and honesty he provides all of us has set a tone for the entire Company. Tex knew the Company’s founders well, and he embodied their spirit, principles and ethics in his leadership on our Board. We thank him for his service to Sanderson Farms and for his contributions to building long-term shareholder value. We will miss his good humor, keen business insight, and the historical perspective he provided as a Board member. On a personal note, I will miss his wise counsel and advice, his wit and his generosity, and I wish him a long and satisfying retirement with his wife Carolyn, their children and grandchildren.”
Mr. Ritter previously served as President and Director of the Attala Company from 1967 until his retirement in 1992. Mr. Ritter retired as a director of First M&F Corp. and Merchants and Farmers Bank in Kosciusko, Mississippi, in 2011.
Sanderson Farms, Inc. is engaged in the production, processing, marketing and distribution of fresh and frozen chicken and other prepared food items. Its shares trade on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol SAFM.
