West Liberty, Iowa-based West Liberty Foods announced on May 3 that CEO Ed Garrett will retire on May 31, 2022.
Garrett started with West Liberty Foods in 1999 as the Vice President of Operations. He was promoted to President & CEO in 2004. Throughout his tenure, Garrett has led the organization to several prestigious awards including the Dupont Qualicon Food Quality Award in 2008, Subway’s Vendor of the Year in 2012, and Refrigerated & Frozen Foods’ Processor of the Year in 2017, among many others.
Garrett was also honored with leadership awards in 2007 and 2013, and was recognized in 2013 by Meatingplace Magazine as a Knowlton Award Honoree. His most recent recognition by the National Provisioner named him a recipient of their “25 Years, 25 Icons” Award.
“Ed has been instrumental for West Liberty Foods,” said Paul Hill, Chairman, West Liberty Foods Board of Directors. “Ed’s leadership has allowed West Liberty Foods to grow into the organization we are today. We thank Ed for his long standing commitment to our organization, and wish him the very best that retirement life has to offer.”
Over Garrett’s 23 years with the company, West Liberty Foods expanded into three additional locations in Iowa, Utah, and Illinois, growing from 820 to 2,700 team members.
The company also successfully achieved Landfill Free verification, meaning less than one percent of its total waste goes to landfills.
“My time spent with the West Liberty Foods family has been so rewarding,” says Garrett. “I’ve spent 23 years surrounded by the hardest working people in the industry, and I look forward to seeing our next generation of leadership succeed just the same.”