Joseph W. Luter III (born July 17, 1939) is the former chairman of Smithfield Foods, the world's largest hog producer and pork processor.
Luter III was born in Smithfield, Virginia, to a United Methodist Christian family [1] in 1939 and received his bachelor's degree from Wake Forest University in 1962.
[5] Smithfield committed over seven thousand Clean Water Act violations and received a $12.6 million fine, marking the largest civil penalty for pollution in US history at that time.
[9] Luter III announced in June 2006 that he would relinquish the title of chief executive officer of Smithfield Foods after serving in that position for 31 years to become non-executive chairman of the company.
[11] During Luter's 31 years leading Smithfield, the company achieved a 24 percent average annual rate of return on equity.
Luter III resented what he called his father's "workaholic" ways and resolved to live the life of a family man.