SALISBURY, Md. – Perdue Farms announced on Jan. 21 that the company was name a “Best Employer for Diversity 2020” for the second year in a row according to Forbes magazine. The company ranked No. 251 out of the Top 500 employers in the US.

“Perdue Farms is celebrating 100 years in business this year and our steadfast commitment to our associates and creating a workplace that is diverse and inclusive is one of the factors that has contributed to our success and longevity”, said Kathryn Danko, chief diversity officer. “Being honored once again is a true testament to our incredibly diverse workforce that reflects the values and commitments of our company.”

The list, which is made with market research company Statista, assembled an anonymous online survey of 60,000 Americans working at companies with more than 1,000 employees.  A representative sample of employees were surveyed, and respondents were asked questions regarding the topics of age, gender equality, ethnicity, disability, LGBTQA+ and general diversity concerning their own employer.

Perdue Farms pointed to its track record of creating a more diverse and inclusive workspace includes employees from more than 13 countries. It also said over half the Company’s board is made up of women, and this leadership in gender diversity has received national recognition.

In 2020, the Perdue is planning its first ever Day of Understanding, a national initiative spearheaded by CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion, to further embrace and amplify difference in the organization and accept diversity. The company also has Diversity and Inclusion councils and annual Diversity Days at operations sites and many locations to celebrate the diversity of languages, cultures and backgrounds of our associates.

MEAT+POULTRY covered some of Perdue’s diversity initiatives in a December 2018 feature.