WEST LIBERTY, IOWA – Following Ed Garrett’s retirement last week, West Liberty Foods LLC named Brandon Achen as the next chief executive officer starting on May 31.

Achen previously served as president of the company since 2020 where he oversaw operations, scheduling, engineering and executive management. He also took on risk management, supply chain disruptions and the challenge of dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I’m humbled by the opportunity to lead our great organization,” Achen said. “We have a lot of things to be proud of and optimistic about at West Liberty Foods, and I’m looking forward to what the future holds for us.”

Garrett had been CEO of West Liberty Foods since 2004.

Achen graduated from Iowa State University and is certified in Production and Inventory Management (CPIM) by the APICS Organization. During the 2014 International Poultry Processing Expo, Achen received the “30 under 30 Award.”

He also works on the board of the Iowa Turkey Federation and National Turkey Federation. Achen was born and raised on a turkey farm, which helped him learn the skills to care for turkeys while managing a farm. 

“Our board of directors and executive management team are excited for our next generation of leadership,” said Paul Hill, chairman of West Liberty Foods. “Brandon has extensive experience with our major customers and vendors, drives innovation and process improvement, and knows our organization from the farm throughout our facilities. We are confident Brandon will lead West Liberty Foods to further growth and success as we continue to forge the future of proteins for the food industry.”