This week on the Be Epic podcast we continue the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame series with Gary George, chairman of George's Inc. and an inductee of the 2024 Arkansas Business Hall of Fame. During the episode Brent and Gary delve into the history and evolution of George’s Inc., a family-owned poultry business with roots dating back to the 1920s. Gary shares the story of the company's humble beginnings as George's Produce, its expansion into the fully integrated poultry enterprise known for serving a wide range of customers, including fast food chains, grocery stores, and institutional distributors across the United States. Reflecting on the cyclical nature of the poultry industry and its challenges, Gary discusses how he spearheaded the company's significant growth in the 1980s, following his graduation from Walton College in 1972. The conversation also touches on the values of community support, the importance of family in the business, with Gary detailing his close relationship with his father and the seamless transition of leadership to his own sons, emphasizing the company's commitment to longevity and innovation in the industry.
Podcast Episode
Episode Transcript
Gary George 0:00
And I think that that's part of not only personal fulfillment, but the business responsibility
to, to help your community that you're in also.
Brent Williams 0:06
Welcome to the Be Epic Podcast brought to you by the Sam M. Walton College of Business
at the University of Arkansas. I'm your host, Brent Williams. Together, we'll explore
the dynamic landscape of business, and uncover the strategies, insights, and stories
that drive business today.
Well, today, I have with me Gary George. Gary is the chairman of George's, Inc. and he is a member of the class of the 2024 Arkansas Business Hall of Fame. So first, Gary, let me say congratulations.
Gary George 0:43
Well, thank you very much. I, when you came up and told me I was going to be inducted,
as you know, I got very emotional because my dad being in that that's first thing
that came to my mind, but I'm humbled and very honored.
Brent Williams 0:59
Well certainly and I would add deserving to that. But it is fantastic that you know,
there's a yet another father son combination in the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame.
And I want to get to part of his story as well. And I'm sure we'll cover that in you
know, in learn a little bit more about the business. So for those that might not know
George's, just tell us a little bit, I guess, what do you all do? And then let's kind
of jump into like, how did the company form and evolve?
Gary George 1:32
Well, I think we're, we're, the family's mainly known for the poultry business. Started
in the 20s. But it at that point in time, it was not the poultry, it was just my grandfather
just making a living. And he might have had turkeys, he might have had poultry, and
it grew from there. But we're involved in land development and, and some other things.
But we're mainly known for the poultry business.
Brent Williams 2:08
And so he founded the business and
Gary George 2:10
He founded it, it was actually called George's Produce,
Brent Williams 2:15
Okay.
Gary George 2:15
And that was in the 20s. And, and again, in in the Depression did anything he he sold.
He had fruits and vegetables back that far back in Springdale. They meet on Saturdays
downtown, and he would be down there doing that. And then it was in the early 40s.
started hauling live chickens.
Brent Williams 2:43
Okay
Gary George 2:44
Up to St. Louis and Kansas City, a lot of others did that around here. And that was
the start of really what you call the poultry business around here.
Brent Williams 2:54
Okay.
Gary George 2:55
And so did that. And he had two sons, my dad and my uncle. And when I, when I got
old enough, in the 60s, my, my grandfather was out, dealing with peach orchards buying
land and cattle, and that was his, that's what he liked. And my
Brent Williams 3:28
Farmer at heart
Gary George 3:29
A farmer at heart, and my uncle and my dad, were running the business. And my uncle
died in 1969. And so my dad took over the business, and then I graduated from Walton
College in 1972. And that's what I wanted to do.
Brent Williams 3:52
And been in the business ever since then?
Gary George 3:54
Been in the business ever since.
Brent Williams 3:56
What, you know, it may be kind of going in on the poultry side of of your family's
operation, you know, kind of what is your focus within the poultry, you know, industry
and, you know, who are the customers you serve?
Gary George 4:11
Well, we we serve various customers, I guess you could classify fast food people.
We go to many grocery stores, we go to many institutional distributors that go to
restaurants. The only thing we really we don't do is fully cooked.
Brent Williams 4:38
Okay.
Gary George 4:39
And so we have a wide array of products other than fully cooked and we actually go
all across the United States from the East Coast to the West Coast.
Brent Williams 4:52
And I think you describe the company describes itself as fully integrated and may
be kind of kind of double clicking in on what does that mean?
Gary George 5:01
Fully integrated is is where you you have your, your breeder hens, what you'd have
pullets, who turned into breeder hens, who lay the eggs to, to hatch and go to the
farm and you feed them you have all those steps, back when the poultry industry started,
somebody might be selling to feed some feed to the people that were going to raise
the chickens, but basically fully integrated is you're, you're doing it from the day
old chick, or before really with your breeder hens, all the way to the customer.
Brent Williams 5:42
And poultry can be can be a tough business, right? I mean, in terms of it goes through
big cycles, you know, I assume that kind of go along with different, you know, ag
commodity prices, etc.
Gary George 5:56
You hit it on the head.
Brent Williams 5:57
Yeah.
Gary George 5:58
It's it's, it's, it's known for that. A lot of that because of grain prices. A lot
of that is when things are good. Everybody wants to expand and put more out. But it's
always been cyclical it when I started in the business. It was cyclical, but not the
dramatic nature that it is now.
Brent Williams 6:26
Yeah
Gary George 6:26
It really is. You know, you used to say a quarter of cent a pound. And now you might
say three or four cents a pound.
Brent Williams 6:33
Yeah.
Gary George 6:34
And on that amount of pounds. It it. It's big.
Brent Williams 6:36
It's a big swing.
Gary George 6:37
Yes. Yes.
Brent Williams 6:39
So you really at least when I was reading some about the company's history, so your
grandfather founded it in your father ran it, you know, and then you really got you
graduated in 1972. And but really kind of really started shepherding the company's
growth that sounded like in the 80s, and really started to expand, is that a fair
representation of its history?
Gary George 7:03
Well, my grandfather, as I said, he, by the time I was old enough, he was he loved
cattle and land and all of that, and my uncle and dad ran it together.
Brent Williams 7:18
Okay.
Gary George 7:20
Until 69, when my uncle died, and then my, my dad ran it. I came in 72. And, you know,
we weren't big enough there wasn't, well, here's a mentorship or something, I would
just, I would just do different things. Kind of located in the sales department, because
that's where you, you know, all the screw ups that may happen previously. But, you
know, they would call me out and go to meetings and listen in and my dad surprised
me, my me at the age of on my birthday at 30. He made me president
Brent Williams 8:03
Okay.
Gary George 8:03
And it was just a relationship that we've, we've had, and I can't figure out today
why he did it. But he did it. And when I when he, he just, he said, I'm here, but
but you take and he would come in every day he came in, when when he wasn't out of
town or when he you know, he didn't come when he wasn't feeling good. But he came
in until he passed away. Just just to be there. And it was just kind of a special
relationship.
Brent Williams 8:41
I'm sure it was leading that company at such a young age. I'm sure it was pretty comforting,
though, that he was still around.
Gary George 8:48
That he there. Absolutely. It was. It was I think it was 85 or 86. We had one plant
at the time. And we decided to build another plant in Castle, Missouri. And between
that and the hatchery and the feedmill. And we also build a new office. I think I
added up one time we committed in those two or three years as much money as the company
had spent totally in capital expenditures. And I always remember my dad never questioned
me. And it's it's amazing that that I can never remember that he ever questioned that.
I guess he thought it was good. But my my thought was there you know, family businesses
usually sell. We've got one plant. We needed to grow to show the people that that
we were here to stay.
Brent Williams 9:52
Yeah.
Gary George 9:53
And I think it worked out.
Brent Williams 9:54
Well here to stay certainly so right you're now your boys, your sons are co-CEOs.
You serve as chairman, they're running the business, I assume on a day-to-day and
it sounds like what your dad did for you. Sounds a little bit to me like what you've
done for your sons.
Gary George 10:18
Yeah, I tried to follow that.
Brent Williams 10:20
Yeah.
Gary George 10:21
And made them co-Presidents when they were 30.
Brent Williams 10:26
Yeah.
Gary George 10:26
For their birthday
Brent Williams 10:27
Yeah.
Gary George 10:28
And I guess we're we're kind of going against all business rules, you know, or metrics
that they're fourth generation.
Brent Williams 10:40
Yeah.
Gary George 10:41
And I don't know what I can't remember what what companies are to make it fourth generation
but I know it's pretty small. And, and they, I made them co because they, they have
different personalities, they have different strengths. But they, they complement
each other. And they look at things different. But as I've seen, since they've been
running it, they may look at it different in the beginning but they're going to come
together, in the end when the final decisions made. And I'll have to say probably
I'm not as good about staying out of things as my dad was and they tell me that.
Brent Williams 11:26
Yeah
Gary George 11:26
But no we it's been wonderful. It's just wonderful to be be with them and see how
it's going.
Brent Williams 11:32
So there's a couple of things that stand out to me in that story. The first you mentioned
that, you know, four generations leading a business, I think is pretty rare, first
of all. Secondly, you know, it's not easy for co CEOs to work. So there has to be
something culturally in the business that's built into its DNA that enables that.
I don't know, as I asked you that anything like you think like, what's what's allowed
for the continuity, you know, and the ability for the business to persist throughout
generations. And now for your sons to function, you know, in a in a, in a structure
that's not easy to function in?
Well, they're twins.
Yeah
Gary George 12:22
I don't think I mentioned that. But they're twins. I'm sure they got in fights, at
some point as brothers.
Brent Williams 12:30
Yeah.
Gary George 12:31
But I don't really remember it. They got along there. As I said, their personalities
are different.
Brent Williams 12:36
Yeah
Gary George 12:38
But as they were growing up, I watched how they meshed. And And again, they, they're
different, even though they lived in, grew up in the same house and slept in the same
bedroom. They're different personalities. And I just thought it would be a good combination.
As far as any family business, it, the whole family has to have the same goal.
Brent Williams 13:01
Yeah.
Gary George 13:02
And, and that's to be successful. I mean, they've got two sisters. And they're not
in the business. But, but they know that they're working for them, too. And, you know,
it's, we've just, I guess a little bit is luck. But it's, it's just gone over these
generations that that we're all working for the same goal.
Brent Williams 13:28
Well, you know, you mentioned this earlier on briefly. I wish everyone listening could
have been in the room when I got to tell you that you were gonna be a part of the
Arkansas Business Hall of Fame.
Gary George 13:38
Don't make me get emotional again.
Brent Williams 13:40
Well, but you know, one thing that I, you know, when you talked for a few minutes
after that, you not only talked about your family, you talked about there's a lot
of other people, you know, that you felt like were involved in the success of the
company and you. You know who are some of those people that really have been influential
during the last, you know, several decades of, of your leadership and of the company?
Gary George 14:06
Well, I think when you all surprised me and, and it was really pulled off well.
Brent Williams 14:14
Your sons helped with that by the way.
Gary George 14:16
They, they knew I'd show up if they said a certain guy was coming, flying in to see
me and, and I showed up and when I walked in and saw that, I was shocked. But I mentioned
there about Monty Henderson, you did and I hired him in the early 90s. And, and he
had been running actually a much larger company. And part of it was I knew if something
happened to me, we needed somebody in place. And so I hired him and it it was I say
a lot of times it's the second best decision I've ever made. In my life after after
marrying the wife.
Brent Williams 15:04
Yeah.
Gary George 15:05
And, and so he came in and he said, Gary, is there going to be plenty for both of
us to do? And I said, I can't get to things that we need to do. We've got other things
that, that I can't get to. After about six months, it was around Christmas time, I'll
never forget. He said, when are we going to hire somebody else to help us? He was
very influential in the success of the company. Another long term employee that was
there over 50 years. And he he did everything there was to do in the company, and
his name was Otto Yak. I actually grew up with his son, we were friends, but Otto
was there and he just was calm and everything he did and very deliberate. And he would
have to have a lot of praise for the success for being there that long. And, and he
helped mentored me, he really did. And fortunately, my boys got to see my dad, in
kind of, in some roles, how he handled things. They got to see how Otto handled things.
They got to see how Mani handled things. And they got to see how I handled things.
So they had a, they had a little group there that they can learn from, and I think
they took more from everybody else and steered away I am. But those people really
stand out. We've had a lot of great, true loyal people, but I'll go down if I started
naming them it was it would be, it would be hard, but those are the ones that that
really made a difference. Because of where they were.
Brent Williams 17:01
Well, and I think that someone else that was in the room was Mrs. Johnelle Hunt. I
think there's been a strong family relationship there for a long time.
Gary George 17:12
Well, when when the Hunt's started business, probably a lot of people don't know that
they were gonna haul rice hulls for litter for the chicken business. And we were one
of their first customers and, and did some investing in it. And my dad went on the
board. And and that has just added started a very, very long and close relationship.
And yes, I mean, we're very close. We're very close, and had been one of the things.
It's kind of different. But my dad and I would go to lunch, anytime we're in town,
and we try to schedule meetings around whatever. And I actually when I was in college,
I would drive up and go to lunch with my dad, he would he would eat about two o'clock.
It's just he and I and and that progressed with other people. But JB and Johnelle
and my dad and I, I would say there was a period of three or four years we we might
eat lunch twice together, and just have fun. Talk about a little business, but mainly
just talk and laugh. And that was that was our break in the day.
Brent Williams 18:41
Yeah
Gary George 18:41
You know. And I still do that with a group of people today.
Brent Williams 18:44
Yeah. What a what what is special relationship? Yes. Well, you know, and I know, You've
been pretty instrumental in or at least those are my words. Those are not yours, but
pretty instrumental, particularly in your community within Springdale, in Northwest
Arkansas. Tell me you've been philanthropic, you know, to this community. Just tell
us a little bit of maybe a little bit about what the community means to you, what
Springdale means to you why it's important that your company is is there.
Gary George 19:17
Well, obviously that's where we started. And I grew up there. I tried to remember
actually, I tried to look it up and couldn't find real quickly, what the population
was when I was graduating from high school, but I think it was around 15,000 You know,
you just back back in the 60s. It's hard for people to imagine that didn't grow up
in Northwest Arkansas what it was here, but it was close. I mean, it was a close community
as I think most all of them were around here till they they got real big and when
it's that size, you kind of know everybody and, and I just, I've always kind of wanted
to, to do a few things for the community and in certain things, and we don't do it
for everything. We just pick what we want to do. And I think that that's part of not
only personal fulfillment, but the business responsibility to, to help your community
that you're in also.
Brent Williams 20:30
Yeah, absolutely. Well, you know, I wonder, as you look back over, over your career,
you know, and you just think about, you know, you and I just walked by a group of
students in the Walton College, as we were walking over here, as you kind of think
back to what you've learned throughout your careers leading, leading this company,
anything stand out, you're like, Oh, I'd give this piece of advice to a young person
starting starting their career?
Gary George 21:05
Well, I'll tell you a story. And I don't know if this is the direct answer to your
question, but maybe it's getting there a little bit. When my sons were in seniors
in high school, I said have you guys decided what you want to do in life? And they
both said, well, what are you going to do sell the company? And I said, no, but you
haven't decided where you're going to school. And I'm just wondering, I thought you
were going to the university. But I think it's time we sat down. They said, well,
we're going to university. And I said, well, I was going to say that's the thing to
do if you're going to want to be in the business here in Arkansas, because I have
met so many people when I was a student, and it has paid off for me to know people
all around the state of Arkansas that I went to school with. And it surprised them,
they thought where where's dad going with this? But they did and they they have developed
those same relationships and in throughout Arkansas, that I was fortunate to do too.
And I would give that same advice to my great my grandsons if they do the same thing.
Brent Williams 22:24
Yeah. Such great advice. I think that can be overlooked. You know, at this age, if
you're, you know, if you're a business student in college, or even if you're a young
professional, just how important relationships are.
Gary George 22:36
Relationships. Yes, absolutely. Absolutely.
Brent Williams 22:41
You know, well, you you mentioned, Arkansas. So I guess I have to ask you, what's
it mean to you to be in the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame with you know, there's
a lot of amazing people, you know, over over the history of the Arkansas Business
Hall of Fame. That's, that's, that's a part of it, you know, and to be part of that,
I think 100 or so people is pretty special.
Gary George 23:13
Well, it's real special. It's real special. The, some of the people that are on there,
that I don't I mean, I'll start saying names, I'll leave off people but I went to
school with Reynie Rutledge, I went to school with Stanley Reed. I went to school
with Curt Bradbury. And, and there are others that I knew I mean, that it it's just
very special. And I got to know, the Tommy May, I got to know Bill Clark as a trustee
of the University Board and Lewis Eppley and people like that. And when I went on
the University Board, I thought why I'm on here these are these guys are, are so much
smarter and know how to handle things, but it to be included with with those people
and then people have a generation that's older that everybody would look up to, JB
and Johnelle, Sam Walton, Bill Dillard, Don Tyson.
Brent Williams 24:29
Yeah.
Gary George 24:31
It's just kind of a it's just kind of amazing that yeah, it's very, very special.
Very special.
Brent Williams 24:37
It is special. You know, I think that Arkansas has a tremendous business history.
I mean, when you think about all of those names in a in a pretty small state, it's
truly amazing.
Gary George 24:48
It is it really is national companies, worldwide companies it it really is, and I
guess a lot of that's why we got all the growth going on up here, too.
Brent Williams 25:01
I think that's right. I think the best days of Arkansas are no doubt ahead. And I
think a lot of that is due to the amazing enterprises that have been built here.
Gary George 25:10
Absolutely.
Brent Williams 25:11
Well, Gary, I'll just conclude by once again saying congratulations for being part
of the 2024 class, the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame. We're so proud of you, of your
family, of your business, that you're going to be a part of this and it's going to
be it's going to be a pretty fun and special night on February the 16th.
Gary George 25:34
Well, I appreciate it and looking forward to it. And I appreciate that you you having
me here. And I look forward to the 16th.
Brent Williams 25:45
Me too. Thanks.
Gary George 25:46
Thank you.
Brent Williams 25:47
On behalf of the Walton College thank you for joining us for this captivating conversation.
To stay connected and never miss an episode, simply search for Be Epic on your preferred
podcast service.
Brent D. Williams is the Dean of the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas.
With a deep commitment to fostering excellence in business education and thought leadership,
Dr. Williams brings a wealth of experience to his role, shaping the future of the
college and its impact on students and the business community.
