Pilgrim's Pride: Company Profile & Background Check FAQs

Pilgrim's Pride traces its roots to 1946, when Aubrey Pilgrim and his partner Pat Johns purchased a feed and seed store in Pittsburg, Texas, for $3,500. Aubrey's brother, Lonnie "Bo" Pilgrim, helped build the operation from a small-town feed business into a vertically integrated poultry giant that grew for decades through expansion and acquisitions. After a period of financial distress, the company filed for bankruptcy protection and exited in December 2009, when JBS USA, a unit of Brazil-based JBS S.A., acquired a majority of its stock. In 2011, Pilgrim's Pride relocated its US headquarters to Greeley, Colorado, where it remains today.

Pilgrim's Pride Corporation is a publicly traded, multinational food company, with JBS controlling more than three-quarters of its shares. It ranks among the largest chicken producers in the United States and Puerto Rico and is the second-largest chicken producer in Mexico, with additional operations serving international markets. The company's vertically integrated model spans feed mills, hatcheries, grow-out operations with contract farmers, processing plants, and distribution, supplying fresh, frozen, and prepared chicken products to grocery chains, restaurants, and food distributors.

The company employs approximately 35,700 people. Most work in processing facilities and related operations, in roles such as production line workers, deboning and packaging staff, sanitation crews, quality assurance technicians, maintenance mechanics, refrigeration specialists, and live-haul and delivery drivers. Corporate and support roles cover food safety, animal welfare, logistics, sales, finance, human resources, and information technology.

Company culture and employee programs: Pilgrim's Pride hires at scale for hourly production roles and frequently offers on-the-job training, with pathways into skilled maintenance and supervisory positions. Food production facilities operate under strict safety and sanitation standards, and many plants run multiple shifts. Benefits vary by facility, role, and union status where applicable, so candidates should confirm specifics during hiring. Common roles include:

Yes. Employers in the food production and meat processing industry, including Pilgrim's Pride, are legally permitted to conduct pre-employment background checks on job candidates, provided they follow applicable federal, state, and local laws. Screening conducted through a consumer reporting agency is governed by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), which requires disclosure, written consent, and adverse action procedures. Food companies also verify work eligibility, and driving roles are subject to Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations that add screening requirements of their own.

Pilgrim's Pride is generally reported to conduct background checks as part of its hiring process, which is consistent with standard practice among large food manufacturers. The scope of a Pilgrim's Pride background check may vary by role and facility: hourly production roles are often screened with a focus on identity, work eligibility, and criminal history, while driving positions include motor vehicle record checks and corporate roles may add employment and education verification. Candidates should review the disclosure documents they receive during hiring for specifics.

While steps vary by location, the Pilgrim's Pride hiring process for plant roles typically begins with an online application or a visit to a facility's hiring office, followed by a brief interview or screening conversation. Many production positions move quickly from interview to conditional offer. Candidates are then generally asked to complete a background check, a drug screen where required, and work eligibility verification, and some facilities include a physical or functional assessment given the demands of production work. Orientation and safety training follow once screening is cleared. Corporate and driver roles involve additional interviews and, for drivers, DOT qualification steps.

Drug screening practices vary by facility, role, and state law, but pre-employment drug testing is common in meat and poultry processing, particularly for safety-sensitive positions involving machinery, and it is federally required for CDL driving roles. Candidates should expect the possibility of a pre-employment screen and review their offer paperwork for specifics, since policies can differ between locations.

Turnaround time depends on the searches included, the responsiveness of courts and agencies, and the candidate's address history. Many background checks for hourly roles are completed within a few business days, while reports covering multiple counties or including verifications can take longer. Candidates can review typical background check turnaround times to understand what affects timing.

The employer determines which searches to include for each role. For a position at a poultry producer like Pilgrim's Pride, a background check may include some or all of the following:

Candidates should read the disclosure and consent forms they receive to see exactly which searches apply to their role.

Lookback periods depend on the type of search and governing law. Under the FCRA, consumer reporting agencies generally cannot report most types of negative information older than seven years, although criminal convictions may be reported for longer in many states, and exceptions exist for certain higher-salary positions. State rules vary across the many states where Pilgrim's Pride operates plants, so candidates with multi-state histories may see different windows applied to different searches. DOT driver checks follow their own timeframes, including a three-year safety performance history review.

Pilgrim's Pride does not publicly publish a detailed policy on hiring candidates with felony records, and decisions are typically made case by case. The meat and poultry processing industry is often cited as relatively accessible to workers with criminal records, since employers commonly focus on the nature and recency of an offense relative to the job rather than applying blanket exclusions. Many states and cities have "ban-the-box" laws that limit when employers can ask about criminal history during the application process. Candidates with records are encouraged to apply, answer questions honestly, and be prepared to provide context if asked.

Candidates will typically be asked to sign a written disclosure and consent form before a background check begins. Applicants should be prepared to provide accurate personal information, including full legal name, date of birth, Social Security number, and address history, along with documents establishing work eligibility. Driver applicants should also expect to provide CDL details and driving history. Accurate information helps ensure the right jurisdictions are searched and prevents avoidable delays to a start date.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act is a US federal law that governs how consumer reporting agencies collect, use, and share background check information. Under the FCRA, employers must obtain written consent before ordering a background check, and before taking adverse action based on the results they must provide the candidate with a copy of the report and a summary of rights, along with a reasonable opportunity to dispute inaccurate information. For a detailed overview of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and related EEOC guidance, review Checkr's introduction to these protections.

Running a personal background check with Checkr lets you preview what Pilgrim's Pride may see and helps you identify potential inaccuracies before they affect your application. In one secure report you can review:

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The resources and information provided here are for educational and informational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. Always consult your own counsel for up-to-date legal advice and guidance related to your practices, needs, and compliance with applicable laws.