50th State Poultry
98-715 Kuahao Pl, Pearl City, HI 96782
(808) 845-5902
https://50thstatepoultry.com/
IG: @50thstatepoultry
Neighborhood: Pearl City
History
“The story of Yasu and Shizuko Uezu is the story of the American Dream. Arriving in Hawaii before World War II in search of a better life, Yasu worked in the sugar cane fields. Shizuko helped her family with their pig farm. In 1961, Yasu and Shizuko took over a small chicken farm in Waianae Valley on Oahu’s west side.
They worked hard, hatching chicks and delivering them to neighboring farms in their old Ford station wagon; 500 chicks here, 500 chicks there. Over time, they mastered the other facets of the business, growing the small hatchery into a vertically-integrated company with hatchery, raising and processing under one roof.
For 30 years the company found success, but the world never stands still. Small and mid-sized poultry producers that could be found in any major city, began to be squeezed out by giant poultry companies that had economies of scale.
In 1990, faced with the rising cost of shipping chicken feed to Hawaii and recognizing the technological improvements in refrigerated ocean-going shipping, Yasu and Shizuko’s son Darryl, made a bold decision. He eliminated the hatchery and chicken raising operations and started shipping fresh poultry from the mainland.
As other poultry farms began to close down, 50th State invested heavily in their processing operation, creating the state’s only USDA-approved facility built specifically to handle fresh chicken.
Today, 50th State Poultry is Hawaii’s largest and last remaining poultry processor, a testament to nearly 60 years of expertise, hard work and incredible customer service.
What does it mean to be a local family business in Hawaii? Darryl, his wife Linda, and their two sons Derron and Evan, run the business just like founders Yasu and Shizuko. “My father believed strongly in treating people right,” says Darryl. “Our customers are number one. We strive to live up to the high standards my father set.”
“Treating people right” also extends to the company’s employees. Two-thirds of the full time workers have been with the company 10 years or longer. That longevity results in workers who understand the quality of service expected of them. And quality workers translates into very happy customers.”
Source: https://50thstatepoultry.com/about-us/
