TUSCALOOSA, ALA. – Poultry processor Peco Foods announced that Bobby Wilburn, 66, passed away on April 7.

The company said Wilburn, who worked at Peco for 38 years, took a leave of absence earlier in 2023 from his role as corporate director of sales and marketing for health reasons.

“There will never be another Bobby Wilburn,” said Mark Hickman, president and chief executive officer of Peco Foods. “He lived out Peco’s core values every day with a commitment to do the right thing and build lasting relationships with people. The Peco family extends our deepest condolences to Bobby’s family, friends and every life he touched. His impact in the poultry industry and his community will certainly not be forgotten.”

Wilburn joined the company’s sales division in 1985 following positions at Sanderson Farms and Spring Valley Farms. Throughout his career, Wilburn helped Peco grow from a single plant in Tuscaloosa to 23 plants, feed mills, hatcheries and live operations facilities.

He developed Peco’s marketing division and oversaw the shift from smaller, fast-food specific birds to one of the industry’s leading big bird programs.

Aside from his contributions to Peco, Wilburn was a member of the USA Poultry and Egg Export Council’s board of directors, National Chicken Council’s Marketing Committee and served on the board of the West Alabama Food Bank.