From Competitor to Farmer Focus Board Member: Former Smart Chicken President Joins Company's Board

Industry Visionary Bill Schellpeper Joins Farmer Focus Board in Strategic Growth Move

HARRISONBURG, Va., July 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Farmer Focus, the humane, sustainable, and traceable chicken company known for its farmer-first model and supply chain transparency, today announced that Bill Schellpeper has joined its board of directors, effective August 2026.

Schellpeper brings more than 17 years of leadership experience in the poultry industry, most recently serving as President of Smart Chicken, where he led the premium poultry brand's operations, sales, marketing, and growth strategy as an independently managed business within Tyson Foods. Through his leadership, he helped grow a regional brand into a nationally recognized business, contributing to a differentiated strategy that supported sustained growth and long-term success. He also served on Tyson Foods' Poultry Leadership Team and Senior Leadership Team.

"For over a decade, Bill Schellpeper was one of the fiercest competitors we faced, a brilliant leader who ran the Smart Chicken brand with a relentless devotion to consumer needs and an uncompromising demand for product excellence," said Stephen Shepard, CEO of Farmer Focus. "I have always deeply respected and looked up to him. Today, the game changed completely."

Beyond Farmer Focus, Schellpeper still currently serves on the board of Friesen's Inc., a Midwest Growth Partners portfolio company that designs and manufactures automation and processing systems for food manufacturers, where he also served as Interim CEO from March to June 2026, leading the company through a leadership transition and operational transformation. He is also co-founder of Dot Provisions LLC.

"By bringing Bill onto the Farmer Focus Board of Directors, we aren't just gaining an industry titan with an intimate understanding of what consumers demand, we are combining forces to set a new standard for quality," said Shepard. "Our customers and consumers should take note: we just got stronger, faster, and infinitely more formidable with absolute resolve to serve their needs."

With Bill Schellpeper joining the board, Farmer Focus adds decades of poultry expertise to a mission that hasn't changed since 2014: promoting and protecting generational family farms. They give independent family farmers a fair, sustainable path forward while giving consumers humane, traceable chicken they can trust. His addition strengthens the company's ability to scale that model without compromising it, growing the brand while keeping farmers, humane practices, and transparency at the center of every decision.

About Farmer Focus: Founded in 2014 with the mission to promote and protect generational family farms, Farmer Focus broke from the traditional poultry model by partnering with independent farmers. All 120+ growers retain ownership of their flocks, are paid fairly for their work, and follow the brand's rigorous standards. The result is humane, sustainable, traceable chicken you can trust to be better for your table, the planet, and the future of farming.

Website link: FarmerFocus.com

SOURCE Farmer Focus