Perdue invests millions of dollars in protecting our natural resources.

Streamlined production and investments in state-of-the-art equipment position the company for continued growth in the new century. Perdue Farms™ acquires a poultry-processing complex in Perry, Georgia – one of the largest poultry processing facilities in the U.S.

The Perdue Farms™ Innovation Center opens in Salisbury, bringing together the company's research and development programs.

Perdue becomes one of the top-12 grain companies in the U.S. through acquisitions and a continued commitment to purchase grain from local farmers.

Perdue addresses concerns over nutrient run-off into the Chesapeake Bay and the local inland bays by investing in Perdue-AgriRecycle, a joint venture that converts used litter from area chicken farms into organic fertilizer products. The 2001 opening of the $12 million plant marks the industry's first large-scale effort to recycle poultry litter.

Extending its leadership position in food safety, Perdue Farms™ implements the most comprehensive "Farm to Fork" food safety program in the poultry industry. Perdue Farms™ takes the industry lead in animal welfare with a formal Poultry Welfare Program.

The company expands it Wellness Center program to include dependent care. Perdue also launches a company-wide health improvement program to help associates eliminate risk factors (such as smoking) and manage controllable diseases ( such as high blood pressure).