NEW YORK – “Accelerate, Innovate, Cultivate” is Tyson Foods, Inc.’s new business mantra going into 2012, according to Donnie Smith, president and chief executive officer.

"We will accelerate growth through our international businesses in China, Brazil, Mexico and India, and we will grow our value-added product sales domestically," Smith said. "We will innovate through products, processes and analytics, and we will cultivate our team members through practical talent development programs."

Smith and Dennis Leatherby, executive vice president and chief financial officer, outlined Tyson’s growth strategy to investors at the BMO Capital Markets 2012 Farm to Market Conference. The new strategy takes advantage of the Tyson’s balance sheet, which gives the company the flexibility to buy or build assets to fill product offering gaps, while investing in the company’s infrastructure, according to Smith.

"De-risking and optionality are terms we use to describe how we will manage our capital structure to drive a sustained competitive advantage," he said.