SPRINGDALE, Ark. – Donnie Smith, president and chief executive officer of Tyson Foods, Inc. will ring the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange to mark the company’s 15th anniversary of trading. Smith will be accompanied by members of Tyson’s management staff, the company said.

“Our company has grown significantly since 1997, expanding our chicken business and diversifying our portfolio to include beef, pork and prepared foods,” Smith said. “And, we expect our business to continue to grow as we serve the needs of our customers.

“We’re currently experiencing our third consecutive year of solid earnings and remain focused on improving our operational efficiencies, adding more value to our products and expanding our international presence,” he added.

The company said Tyson Foods’ sales have grown more than five times what they were in 1997, while overall employment has almost doubled. In fiscal 2011 the company’s sales were $32.3 billion and total employment was 115,000 compared to sales of $6.4 billion in fiscal 1997 and 63,000 people employed.