Bill Schellpeper, the executive who grew Smart Chicken from a regional label into a nationally recognized premium poultry brand, is joining the board of directors at Farmer Focus, effective August 2026 — a move that signals the Virginia-based chicken company is readying for a new phase of growth.
Schellpeper spent more than 17 years in the poultry industry, most recently as President of Smart Chicken, where he oversaw operations, sales, marketing, and growth strategy for the Tyson Foods-managed brand. He also served on Tyson Foods' Poultry Leadership Team and Senior Leadership Team. The appointment carries notable competitive symbolism: Farmer Focus CEO Stephen Shepard called Schellpeper "one of the fiercest competitors we faced" before praising him as "a brilliant leader who ran the Smart Chicken brand with a relentless devotion to consumer needs and an uncompromising demand for product excellence."
What He Brings
For foodservice buyers and restaurant operators tracking premium protein sourcing, Schellpeper's profile matters beyond the boardroom optics. His experience scaling a differentiated poultry brand through a major corporate ownership structure gives Farmer Focus direct insight into what it takes to compete for premium shelf and menu placement at national scale — without diluting brand positioning. That skill set is precisely what independent, mission-driven brands must develop as they push beyond regional strongholds into broadline distribution and chain-level menu programs.
Schellpeper currently serves on the board of Friesen's Inc., a Midwest Growth Partners portfolio company specializing in automation and processing systems for food manufacturers, where he also served as Interim CEO from March to June 2026. He is also co-founder of Dot Provisions LLC, adding supply chain and entrepreneurial breadth to his poultry expertise.
Scaling Without Compromise
Farmer Focus was founded in 2014 on a model that deliberately breaks from conventional contract poultry: all 120-plus growers retain ownership of their flocks, are compensated fairly, and adhere to the brand's humane and traceability standards. For operators and retailers navigating growing consumer and institutional demand for transparent, humanely raised poultry, that supply chain architecture is a meaningful differentiator — but it also creates scaling challenges that most premium brands eventually confront.
Shepard framed the board addition in direct competitive terms, suggesting Schellpeper's arrival sharpens Farmer Focus's ability to grow the brand while keeping farmers, humane practices, and supply chain transparency central to every decision. In a premium poultry segment where provenance claims are proliferating and scrutiny from both foodservice buyers and retail category managers is intensifying, adding an executive who built one of the category's most credible brands to the governance structure is a concrete strategic move — not just a résumé acquisition.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
