SEABOARD CORP /DE/ (SEB) Business
This page reproduces the company's own Item 1 Business text from the linked SEC filing. It is filer text, not grepcent analysis, scoring, or investment advice.
Informational only - not investment advice. See Disclaimer.
Item 1. Business
Company Overview
Seaboard Corporation and its subsidiaries (collectively, “Seaboard”) together comprise a diversified group of companies that operate worldwide in agricultural, energy and ocean transport businesses. Seaboard is primarily engaged in hog production, pork processing and biofuel production in the United States (“U.S.”); commodity trading and grain processing in Africa and South America; cargo shipping services in the U.S., Caribbean and Central and South America; and electric power generation in the Dominican Republic. Seaboard also has an equity method investment in Butterball, LLC (“Butterball”), a producer and processor of turkey products. Seaboard’s diverse operations are relatively decentralized, with each segment having a management team that operates independently of the others.
Seaboard was originally founded in 1918 as a flour brokerage business and was organized as a Delaware corporation in 1946. In its over 100-year history, Seaboard has grown under generations of family leadership and broadened its portfolio of industries. Approximately 74% of the outstanding common stock of Seaboard is collectively owned by Seaboard Flour LLC and SFC Preferred, LLC, which are Delaware limited liability companies. Ellen Bresky, the Chairwoman of Seaboard’s Board of Directors (the “Board”), and other members of the Bresky family, including trusts created for their benefit, own the equity interests of Seaboard Flour LLC and SFC Preferred, LLC.
All of Seaboard’s segments provide essential products or services, including food, energy and transportation. Accordingly, most of Seaboard’s operations are heavily commodity-driven, resulting in high volatility due to market prices and a cyclical nature of financial performance. With operations in over 45 countries, Seaboard is impacted by geopolitical and global economic conditions. Seaboard has continued to invest in its businesses to increase reliability and efficiencies, vertically integrate its operations, innovate and promote sustainability.
Seaboard has six reportable segments: Pork, CT&M, Marine, Liquid Fuels, Power and Turkey. All Other represents primarily a sugar and alcohol production and processing operation in Argentina. See Note 13 to the consolidated financial statements for each segment’s contribution to net sales and operating income (loss), and its respective assets and capital expenditures. Additional information regarding sales and property, plant and equipment located in foreign locations is also included in Note 13 to the consolidated financial statements.
Description of Segments
Pork Segment - Seaboard, through its subsidiary Seaboard Foods LLC (“Seaboard Foods”), is a vertically integrated pork producer. This segment’s operations consist of hog production facilities for internal genetic and commercial breeding, farrowing, nursery and finishing, and a pork processing plant in Oklahoma. Seaboard Foods primarily sells pork products to further processors, foodservice operators, distributors and grocery stores in the U.S. and internationally, with approximately 25% of sales to Mexico, Japan, China and numerous other foreign markets. This segment also sells swine-derived renewable natural gas, produced from its integrated model of hog operations, covered anaerobic digester lagoons and biomethane upgrading facilities at certain of its hog farms in Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas. Environmental credits are generated based on gas production and then sold to third parties. Production tax credits are generated based on the greenhouse gas emissions factor of gas produced. Most sites are still in the early stages of operation, and sales of renewable natural gas and related credits are not material.
Seaboard has a 50% investment in Seaboard Triumph Foods, LLC (“STF”), which operates a pork processing plant in Iowa. Seaboard and Triumph Foods, LLC (“Triumph”), an independent pork processor and partner in this joint venture, supply a portion of the hogs processed at the STF plant. Seaboard also has a 50% investment in Daily’s Premium Meats, LLC (“Daily’s”), which produces and markets raw and pre-cooked bacon, using pork bellies primarily sourced from Seaboard, Triumph and STF, at Daily’s locations in Utah, Montana and Missouri. Seaboard accounts for these investments under the equity method of accounting. Seaboard has marketing agreements with STF, Daily’s and Triumph to market their products and has a margin-sharing arrangement with Triumph that considers the average sales price, standard costs and the mix of products sold from the Seaboard and Triumph plants. Seaboard and Triumph also own a 50% interest in Seaboard de Mexico USA LLC, which operates a ham-boning and processing plant in Mexico.
CT&M Segment - Seaboard’s CT&M segment, which is managed under the name Seaboard Overseas and Trading Group (“SOTG”), is an integrated agricultural commodity trading, processing and logistics company. This segment’s operations include trading offices for sale of grains and oilseeds, milling facilities for processing flour, animal feed and other products including animal-based proteins, and a fleet of chartered and owned vessels that transport the majority of commodities purchased and sold. Seaboard’s CT&M segment also has ownership interests in several non-consolidated affiliates to further its business strategies. Overall, the CT&M segment, including its affiliates, has facilities in 26 countries, primarily in Africa and South America.
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Marine Segment - Seaboard, through its subsidiary Seaboard Marine Ltd. and third-party agents, provides dry, refrigerated and other cargo shipping services between the U.S. and 27 countries in the Caribbean and Central and South America. This segment’s primary commercial operations are in Miami, Florida, with strategic operations in The Bahamas, and scheduled port calls are made in Houston, Texas; New Orleans, Louisiana; various domestic ports on the East Coast; and various foreign ports. A network of offices and agents are used to sell freight services, including intermodal transport of import and export cargo by truck or rail to and from various U.S. and foreign ports. This segment’s fleet consists of time chartered and owned vessels, including eight new dual-fueled vessels, primarily fueled by liquefied natural gas. Additionally, this segment owns or leases dry, refrigerated and specialized containers and other related equipment.
Liquid Fuels Segment - Seaboard, through its subsidiary Seaboard Energy, LLC, produces biodiesel at facilities in Oklahoma and Missouri and renewable diesel at a facility in Kansas. Environmental credits, specifically renewable identification numbers (“RINs”) and Low Carbon Fuel Standard (“LCFS”) credits, are generated per federal and California, respectively, government biofuel initiatives. RINs are generated based on gallons produced, and LCFS credits are generated based on the specific carbon-reducing initiatives throughout the production process and the number of gallons sold in California. These credits are then sold to third parties. This segment also generates transferable production tax credits based on the greenhouse gas emissions factor of fuel produced, and Seaboard intends to sell these credits to third parties.
Power Segment - Seaboard, through its subsidiary Transcontinental Capital Corp. (Bermuda) Ltd. (“TCCB”), is an independent power producer generating electricity for the Dominican Republic power grid using its two barges. The two barges are commonly referred to as Estrella Del Mar II (“EDM II”), placed in service in 2012, and Estrella Del Mar III (“EDM III”), which began operations in 2022. During 2025, TCCB entered into an agreement to construct a new power-generating barge, Estrella Del Mar IV (“EDM IV”), which is expected to commence operations in the Dominican Republic in 2028. The newer barges have gas and steam turbines instead of reciprocating engines and are more energy efficient than EDM II. While EDM II remains in operation, Seaboard continues to explore strategic alternatives for this barge, including a sale or relocation. This segment is not directly involved in the transmission or distribution of electricity.
Turkey Segment - Seaboard has a non-controlling 52.5% investment in Butterball, a producer and processor of turkey products. Butterball is a national supplier to retail stores, foodservice outlets and industrial entities and, to a lesser extent, exports products to foreign markets. Seaboard accounts for this investment under the equity method of accounting.
Other Business
Seaboard, through its subsidiary Seaboard Energías Renovables y Alimentos S.R.L. (“SERA”), operates a vertically integrated sugar and alcohol production facility in Argentina. SERA owns nearly 70,000 acres of cultivated land to grow sugarcane and a processing mill with an annual capacity to crush approximately three million metric tons of sugarcane. The facility has an annual production capacity of approximately 250,000 metric tons of sugar if maximizing sugar production and approximately 33 million gallons of alcohol if maximizing alcohol production. Depending on the local market conditions, this facility can produce more sugar and less alcohol, or vice versa.
Customers
Seaboard does not have sales to any one customer equal to 10% or more of its consolidated revenues. The Power segment sells power in the Dominican Republic primarily to government-owned distribution companies. The Turkey segment had two retail customers that collectively represented approximately 28%, 30%, and 27% of its total 2025, 2024, and 2023 sales, respectively.
Competitive Conditions
Seaboard’s Pork segment faces competition from a variety of regional, national and international pork and other protein producers and processors and is based primarily on product quality, customer service and price. According to S&P Global in 2025, Seaboard Foods was ranked number three in hog production in the U.S. based on its sows in production and number four in pork processing in the U.S. based on daily processing capacity, including Triumph’s and STF’s capacity.
Competition in the CT&M segment comes from numerous traders around the world and imported grain-processed products or other local producers in the same industries and geographical regions.
Seaboard’s Marine segment faces competition based on price, reliable sailing frequencies and customer service.
Seaboard’s Liquid Fuels segment faces competition from other biofuel producers that compete primarily based on price.
For Seaboard’s Power segment, the Dominican government sets a cap on the electricity spot market prices and establishes the dispatch order of who sells into the power grid according to a merit list of producers based on energy efficiency. To sell to the power grid, Seaboard competes with producers utilizing various types of fuel and generation technologies,
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including hydro, solar, wind, natural gas, heavy fuel oil, diesel and coal. Renewable energy producers and producers who have lower variable operating costs may receive dispatch preference from the Dominican government.
Competition in the Turkey segment comes from a variety of regional and national producers and processors within specific product categories and sales channels and is based primarily on brand, product quality, customer service and price.
Seasonal Business
The Turkey segment’s business is seasonal for fresh and frozen whole birds and related products, with the holiday season driving the majority of those sales. Seaboard’s other segments are not seasonally dependent to any material extent.
Research and Development
The majority of Seaboard’s research and development (“R&D”) has historically occurred in the Pork and Liquid Fuels segments. Within hog production operations, R&D activities are primarily directed at improving the genetics, health and feed efficiency of Seaboard’s hogs. The processing plant activities focus on increasing meat quality and manufacturing process improvements. Recently, the Pork segment has invested in R&D related to its renewable biogas recovery facilities. The Liquid Fuels segment’s R&D investments have historically related to biodiesel and renewable diesel plants’ production process improvements.
Raw Materials and Sources of Supply
During 2025, Seaboard raised 94% of the hogs processed at its Oklahoma processing plant, with the remaining hog requirements purchased primarily under a contract with an independent producer.
The CT&M segment sources, transports and markets approximately 15 million metric tons per year of wheat, corn, soybeans, soybean meal and other commodities, generally purchased from farmers, grain elevators and wholesale merchants. Changes in origination sources, weather patterns, planting forecasts and consumption patterns may impact supply and demand and related commodity prices in this segment.
The Marine segment has a fleet of chartered and owned vessels with diverse fuel requirements. Fuel is supplied by a combination of long-term supply and spot-price purchasing agreements.
The Liquid Fuels segment’s biodiesel and renewable diesel are produced from pork fat supplied by the pork processing plants and other animal fats and vegetable oils purchased from many third-party suppliers.
Fuel is a significant raw material for the Power segment. EDM III only operates on natural gas and there is only one supplier of natural gas in the Dominican Republic. The dispatch of EDM II is dependent on the effective sourcing of heavy fuel oil or natural gas at competitive prices. The Power segment has entered into long-term fuel supply agreements to ensure natural gas is available for EDM III’s current operations and EDM IV’s future operations, as this new barge will also only operate on natural gas.
The Turkey segment purchases a significant portion of its grain used in the manufacturing of feed for its turkeys in North Carolina from Seaboard’s partner in Butterball. Also, Butterball purchases poults for its operations from one supplier with multiple locations.
Intellectual Property
Seaboard believes there is recognition of its registered trademarks in the various industries Seaboard serves. While Seaboard considers all of its intellectual and proprietary rights important, Seaboard believes its business as a whole is not materially dependent on any particular patent, trademark, license or other intellectual property right. Some of the more significantly used trademarks are as follows: The Pork segment uses trademarks, including Seaboard Foods®, Prairie Fresh®, Prairie Fresh USA Prime® and Our Farms, Our Commitment®. The CT&M segment uses trademarks, including Mothers Pride® and Zambia’s Pride® in Zambia, GMA® and Top Pain® in Ivory Coast, and GMD® and Jarga® in Senegal. The Marine segment uses trademarks, including Seaboard Marine® and Seaboard Solutions®. The Liquid Fuels segment uses the trademark Seaboard Energy®. The Turkey segment uses trademarks, including Butterball®, Carolina Turkey® and Farm to Family® by Butterball®.
Human Capital Resources
As of December 31, 2025, Seaboard had approximately 14,000 total employees, of whom approximately 52% were in the U.S., 30% were in the Caribbean, Central and South America, and 18% were in Africa. Approximately 42% were in the Pork segment, 23% were in the CT&M segment, 18% were in the Marine segment, 2% were in the Liquid Fuels segment, 2% were in the Power segment, and the remaining 13% were in Seaboard’s other operations and corporate office.
Substantially all of the Pork segment’s hourly employees at its processing plant are covered by a collective bargaining agreement that expires in July 2026. In the CT&M segment, approximately 53% of employees at the mills, primarily in
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Africa and South America, are subject to collective bargaining agreements with various unions that expire between 2026 and 2027. Seaboard believes it has good relationships with its employees and their representative labor organizations.
Generally, Seaboard’s segments operate independently to implement the human capital strategies that best meet the diverse needs of the workforce, industry, competitive environment and legal requirements of the respective countries in which the segment operates. This often includes developing location-specific employee benefits, policies, programs and practices. Although individual programs and benefits vary by location, all segments align with Seaboard’s core principles that emphasize health and safety, financial wellness, learning and development and global diversity and acceptance.
Seaboard’s employees are critical to operational success, and their health and safety is a top priority. All full-time domestic employees are eligible to receive medical and dental benefits and participate in wellness programs. Almost all employees at foreign locations have either company-subsidized private health coverage or public health coverage as mandated by their local governments. The Pork and Power segments have onsite health clinics at their respective principal locations. Seaboard has various initiatives to protect the safety of its workforce, including training, employing several full-time, dedicated, safety professionals and monitoring safety performance closely.
At times, recruitment and retention can be a challenge for certain Seaboard businesses. In 2025, approximately 26% of the Pork segment’s workforce was dependent upon employment visas. Flexible compensation and benefit strategies are developed by Seaboard’s segments to attract and retain employees and reduce turnover and associated costs. Seaboard provides competitive pay, paid time off, holidays and other benefits depending on location. All domestic employees who have completed at least one year of service are eligible to participate in the company-sponsored 401(k) retirement savings plan. At many of the foreign locations, Seaboard participates in government-required pension funds on behalf of its employees.
Seaboard’s segments also provide on-the-job training and various professional development opportunities. For example, full-time employees with a minimum length of service in the Pork segment are eligible for tuition reimbursement, and the segment has developed a comprehensive training program to promote internal employees to management positions which includes a variety of online training courses, that emphasize business, technology and leadership available to 67% of its employees. In the Marine segment, employees are provided training courses through an online platform, including industry-specific, job-specific and general skills courses, and heavy equipment operators have a formal training program with a certain number of hours that must be met before promotion.
Governmental Regulations
Environmental Matters
Seaboard’s Pork, Liquid Fuels and Turkey segments are subject to numerous federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to the environment, such as treatment of wastewater and air emissions, that require the expenditure of funds in the ordinary course of business. Seaboard’s Marine and CT&M segments’ vessels are subject to environmental regulations related to fuel emissions and have made, or plan to make, changes to their fleet to comply with these requirements. Seaboard’s Power segment must receive permits from local authorities to operate, including environmental licenses, among others, and these permits may be canceled or not renewed. The environmental permits for EDM II and EDM III are effective through October 2026 and August 2029, respectively. These segments do not anticipate making expenditures for environmental licenses and regulation purposes that, in the aggregate, would have a material effect on Seaboard’s financial condition or results of operations.
Other Regulations
As a company with global operations, Seaboard is subject to complex foreign and U.S. laws and regulations, including food safety, labor and immigration laws, trade regulations, tariffs, import and export regulations, foreign exchange regulations and anti-bribery and corruption laws. Seaboard has policies and procedures in place to require compliance with these laws and regulations. To date, Seaboard’s compliance actions and costs relating to these laws, rules and regulations have not resulted in a material effect on Seaboard’s financial condition or results of operations. Governmental regulations are subject to change, and accordingly, Seaboard is unable to assess the possible effect of compliance with future requirements or whether compliance with such regulations will materially impact Seaboard’s business in the future.
Available Information
Access to all of Seaboard’s SEC filings, including its annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and all amendments to those reports, is available, free of charge, on its website at www.seaboardcorp.com/investors as soon as reasonably practicable after such material is electronically filed with, or furnished to, the SEC. Seaboard does not intend for information contained in its website to be part of this Form 10-K. The SEC also maintains an Internet site at www.sec.gov that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC.
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Information About Seaboard’s Executive Officers
The following table lists the executive officers of Seaboard and their previous five years of experience. Generally, officers are elected at the Board meeting following the Annual Meeting of Stockholders and hold office until the next such annual meeting or until their respective successors are duly chosen and qualified. There are no arrangements or understandings pursuant to which any executive officer was elected.
| | | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Name (Age) | | Positions and Offices | Position Held Since |
| Robert L. Steer (66) | | President and Chief Executive Officer | July 2020 |
| David H. Rankin (54) | | Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer | December 2020 |
| David M. Becker (64) | | Executive Vice President, General Counsel | December 2020 |
| Chad M. Groves (42) | | President and Chief Executive Officer, Seaboard Foods LLC | July 2024(a) |
| Jacob A. Bresky (38) | | President and Chief Executive Officer, Seaboard Overseas and Trading Group | January 2023(b) |
| Edward A. Gonzalez (60) | | President and Chief Executive Officer, Seaboard Marine Ltd. | January 2005 |
| Peter P. Ostenfeld-Rosenthal (63) | | President and Chief Executive Officer, Seaboard Energy, LLC | April 2024(c) |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| (a) | Mr. Groves served as the Senior Vice President of Sales of Seaboard Foods from July 2021 until late June 2024, and prior to joining Seaboard, he served as Vice President of Sales at Trilliant Food & Nutrition LLC for one year. |