Gene George

Gene George was a member of one of the “Pioneer Families” in Northwest Arkansas, and he was a pioneer in the modern poultry industry. There have not been many chairmen of the board in the poultry industry who could trace their history back to catching chickens, cleaning coops and hauling live birds to market, but Gene George was one such man. Mr. George’s contributions to a successful, growing poultry company began in the late 1920s when his small produce business grew from selling in local and regional markets into a multi-division corporation serving both national and international markets. Growing from a handful of employees to more than 1,500, George’s, Inc. has been a strong employer in Northwest Arkansas, Southwest Missouri and Southeast Oklahoma. Mr. George has been a director of First National Bank of Springdale since 1969 and on the board of Springdale Memorial Hospital since ‘70. After graduating from Springdale High School, he joined the U.S. Navy. Upon his return, he began working with his father C. L. and brother, Luther, in the family business in various jobs. In 1969, Mr. George became president of George’s Inc. and its subsidiaries and was later named chairman of the board. Mr. George was Arkansas Poultry Federation’s “Man of the Year” in 1982.