SALISBURY, Md. – Perdue Farms announced Randy Day is the company’s new COO effective immediately. Day most recently served as president of Perdue Foods, a post he’s held since February 2015.

Randy Day, Perdue Farms COO

He joined the company in 1980, and has held various positions in distribution and sales before his appointment to director of quality assurance and product development in 1992. He was promoted to vice president a year later.

In 1996, Day took the post of vice president of quality assurance and logistics. He later was promoted to president and general manager of foodservice and prepared foods where he was responsible for further-processed turkey and foodservice operations, foodservice sales and marketing, business development and the division’s overall direction and focus.

By July 2008, Day became senior vice president of Perdue AgriBusiness LLC, where he oversaw business development and strategic planning as well as management of Perdue BioEnergy LLC and Perdue AgriRecycle LLC. In August 2013, he returned to the company’s foods business as senior vice president of sales and supply chain optimization. He would go on to serve as executive vice president of supply chain for Perdue Foods in May 2014.

“Randy’s more than 36 years of experience at Perdue Farms, including more than three decades on the Perdue Foods side of the company and five years with Perdue AgriBusiness, provide the foundation to guide our business as we work to fulfill our vision to be the most trusted name in food and agricultural products,” Chairman Jim Perdue said in a news release. “Randy fully understands our heritage and values, the complexities of our business and the strategies for growth. As we approach our company’s 100^th anniversary in 2020, I’m confident in Randy’s leadership and experience to guide us into the next century.”

Day has been active in various industry organizations including as a member of the board of the International Foodservice Manufacturers Association, on the Executive Committee of the National Turkey Federation and on the Tech and Regulatory Committee of the National Chicken Council. He currently serves on the board of theNCC.

Day received a Bachelor of Science in biology from Western Maryland College (McDaniel College). He also holds a master’s in poultry nutrition from the Univ. of Maryland, College Park, and completed an advanced management program at Harvard Business School.