SPRINGDALE, Ark. – Tyson Foods, Inc. promoted Rex Holstein to vice president, commodity purchasing. He succeeds Clark Irwin who will retire in January.

Irwin's career with Tyson Foods spans 36 years. He started at the company in 1978 and has served in various executive positions in sales, operations, warehousing, distribution and commodity purchasing. He also managed the company's Mexican Original business. 

Rex Holstein

Holstein started working for Tyson Foods in 1994 in a variety of roles in human resources, warehousing and accounting. As vice president of commodity purchasing, he will lead the commodity purchasing team in the procurement and risk management of feed ingredients, energy, cooking oil and various inputs.

“I’m pleased to make this announcement about Rex,” said Noel White, president of Poultry for Tyson Foods. “I know he’ll do a great job guiding the team in their efforts to continuously improve our purchasing of commodities and increasing efficiencies.”

Holstein earned a bachelor’s in finance management in 2000 and a bachelor’s in accounting in 2002 at the Univ. of Arkansas in Fayetteville. He serves on the advisory board of the Soy & Grain Trade Summit, the advisory board of the northwest Arkansas area chapter of Children of Arkansas Loved for a Lifetime and has served as chairman of the board for the Arkansas Industrial Traffic Association.