Chairman, John B. Swisher, was awarded the 2009 Business Leader of the Year Award by the
Indiana Chamber of Commerce. The award was presented to Swisher on November 10th at the
Chamber’s 20th Annual Awards Dinner in front of more than 1,200 business, civic, and political
leaders. This is the first time in the Indiana Chamber of Commerce’s history that a business
person from the agricultural industry has been recognized for this prestigious award.
At the young age of 26, John B. Swisher founded United Feeds with only $25,000 in
borrowed capital and a new idea - to sell swine feed directly to producers using an educated
sales staff. Today, his small swine feed company, now JBS United, Inc., has grown into an
innovative animal nutrition technology company with a wide range of proprietary products and a
global reach. His vision was to focus on the customer and improve their business by supplying
valuable information and quality products, and he succeeded in achieving that goal.
The company’s commitment to providing customers with advanced, high-quality
products led JBS United to become one of the largest swine research organizations in the
world. The company continues to build on this reputation today by continually and aggressively
pursuing new technologies and seeking partnerships to develop the next generation of
innovative animal nutrition products. JBS United, Inc. is now a prosperous company with
approximately 400 employees, nine feed mills, eight grain terminals and four research farms
throughout the United States and worldwide. Its areas of expertise rest in research-based
animal nutrition products, livestock production, grain merchandising and environmental
consulting services.
Mr. Swisher was surprised and humbled with the receipt of this award. He stated, “I have
always been guided by my principles and my desire to improve the swine, poultry, and other
agricultural industries. It has been very rewarding to make the contributions I have and to
witness the successes it has brought to my company. I am deeply honored.”
Swisher’s other achievements include being named the Ernst & Young National
Entrepreneur of the Year (2004), the Ernst & Young Indiana Master Entrepreneur (2004),
recipient of the Agrivision Award from the Indiana State department of agriculture (2009), as
well as being inducted into the Central Indiana Business Hall of Fame (2007). In 2009, he was
honored as the first recipient of the John B. Swisher Annual Leadership Award for exemplifying
extraordinary leadership qualities and making an outstanding contribution to the advancement
of the swine industry. He has served on the Boards of Directors of the Indiana Pork Producers
Association and the 4H Foundation, and he has contributed to many local communities and
organizations through both his time and his monetary donations. Those organizations include
various local universities and schools, Junior Achievement, the Indiana FFA, First Responders,
the Lion’s Club, the American Cancer Society, the Indiana State Fair and many more.
About JBS United
Since its founding in 1956, JBS United, Inc. has been dedicated to providing research-based
solutions to enhance animal nutrition and livestock production profitability. The company
provides products to swine, poultry, and dairy producers worldwide. For more information, visit
the JBS United web site at www.JBSunited.com.
