Guiding the nation’s largest producer and marketer of shell eggs
Founded in 1957 and headquartered in Ridgeland, Mississippi, Cal-Maine Foods, Inc. states that it’s mission as a company is to be “the most sustainable producer and reliable supplier of consistent, high quality fresh shell eggs and egg products in the country by demonstrating a ‘Culture of Sustainability’ in everything we do, and creating value for our shareholders, customers, team members and communities.”
Cal-Maine sells the majority of its shell eggs in the southwestern, southeastern, mid-western and mid-Atlantic regions of the U.S. and aims to maintain efficient, state-of-the-art operations located close to its’ customers.
Overseeing this incredible Mississippi success story is Sherman Miller, who was named President and Chief Executive Officer of Cal-Maine in 2022. He served as Company President since 2018 and as Chief Operations Officer since 2011 and was elected to the Board in 2012. Miller has devoted his professional career to the company since originally coming on board in 1996, including by serving in various positions of increasing responsibility in operations prior to his promotion to Company Vice President, Operations, in 2007.
Miller is a widely- recognized animal protein industry expert across the nation and brings extensive experience in attracting and retaining the talent base necessary to support the Cal-Maine’s strategy of growing by acquisition and integration, in addition to organic growth.
Since 2011, Miller has maintained primary responsibility for commodity sourcing and procurement as well as operational logistics that support distribution. Beyond his work as President and CEO of Cal-Maine, Miller’s current and prior board service includes contributions to the United Egg Producers, the U.S. Poultry and Egg Association and the Mississippi State University Poultry Science Advisory Board, among others. He earned his B.S. in Poultry Science from Mississippi State University, where he currently serves as the Distinguished Fellow for the Department of Poultry Science.
His illustrious career all began in small town Mississippi.
“I was born in Kosciusko, MS and raised in Ethel in Attala County,” said Miller. “My parents are Ralph and Faye Miller and I have one older brother, Gwyn Miller who also lives in Ethel with his wife, Angela. I had the privilege of being raised by Christ-centered, hard-working parents. My father owned his own mechanic/repair shop and farmed cattle, plus grew corn and hay to feed the cattle. We always planted a large garden and preserved the vegetables to eat all year long. I may not have realized it at the time, but this all gave me a great appreciation for the value of food, and deep belief it should never be taken for granted. Equally important, it taught me the value of hard work. We always had projects and chores to do. Except for Sundays, that is. I really appreciated having a day of rest! Work was completely off the list on Sundays.”
Watching his father interact with the community every day as customers came through his shop is another core memory.
“He would always take time to visit with each person,” said Miller. “His relationship with them was always more than just repairing a vehicle—he genuinely cared about them and their families. My mother was a registered nurse and worked for the Attala County Health Department until retirement. She spent a lifetime serving others and continues to do so today. She is a walking example of putting others before herself. Even after long days at work, she would join the rest of us in farming and gardening.”
Miller met his wife of 29 years, Laura, in high school and they became sweethearts. “We began dating in 11th grade. We both attended Holmes Community College and then pursued degrees from Mississippi State University. Laura always knew that she wanted to be an accountant and so she went on to earn a degree in Accounting from Mississippi State and later got her masters degree from Milsaps College. She also earned her CPA,” he said.
As for his own career, Miller said, “Personally, I knew I wanted a degree in something that would keep me tied to my roots, and since so much of my upbringing was connected to agriculture, that felt like a natural fit. While driving around campus at MSU for the first time, I noticed the Poultry Science building. I decided to stop and was quickly met by the advisor, Dr. Tim Chamblee. He had me sold on poultry when he told me that the department had 100% job placement. Through my coursework, I had the opportunity to be a part of Cal-Maine Foods’ first-ever internship class the summer before my senior year, working in operations at the company’s Edwards, Mississippi production facility. During my internship, I was blown away by and developed a deep respect for Cal-Maine’s employees, core values, and growth trajectory. I was thrilled when I received an offer to return and work full time upon graduation. The rest is history.”
Miller said that he and Laura have been blessed with three sons. Hayden is a 4th year veterinary student at Mississippi State University School of Veterinary Medicine. Bryce is a recent graduate of the Mississippi State Biochemistry program and will soon start dental school and Logan is a junior Biochemistry major at Mississippi State with plans to attend medical school upon graduation.
“All three of my sons work very hard and I am thankful that they got my wife’s intelligence!” said Miller.
Referring to his progression up the career ladder which led to his becoming President and CEO, said Miller, “My time at Cal-Maine began with a summer internship before my senior year at Mississippi State, as I mentioned. I was promoted to processing manager at the Edwards location where I was working and, in the following year, Laura and I jumped on an opportunity to move to Utah, where Cal-Maine was constructing a new facility. I worked as the processing manager through the construction phase and brought the facility online. For Laura and I both, this was our first look at the world outside of Mississippi.”
After two years of learning and making many lifelong friends in Utah, Miller was then promoted to general manager of Cal-Maine’s farm in Kansas.
“Our first son was born in Utah, so we cut the distance in half in getting back to Mississippi to see grandparents with the Kansas move in 2001,” he said. “In Kansas, I was given the opportunity to work with another incredible team that helped refine my skills and expertise. After six wonderful years (and two more children being born in Kansas), I was promoted to Vice President of Operations. With the promotion, I became responsible for our operations in Kansas, Utah, and Ohio.”
In 2011, Miller was asked to move back to Mississippi as Chief Operations Officer for Cal-Maine and became a Director in 2012.
“In 2018, I was promoted to President of our wonderful company,” he said. “Lastly, in September of 2022, I became CEO and President. This journey has been incredible, and certainly nothing like I could have imagined when I first started as an intern! It provided me an opportunity to make friends across the USA, and landed me back in my home state.”
Miller credited many people who have helped him along his journey.
“I have had more mentors than I have time to name,” he said. “To just mention a few would include my father and mother, Ed Scott, Steve Storm, and Dolph Baker. My parent’s dedication to work, before sunrise and after dark, helped me understand that life doesn’t owe us anything. We have to wake up each day with new ambition to ‘make hay while the sun is shining’ and ‘prepare our tools for the next day.’ This has proven true in every job that I have done along the way. They also impressed upon me how important it is to respect and value each and every person that I meet. I truly enjoyed getting to know so many people across Cal-Maine, which stems from this early influence. Ed Scott was the general manager in Edwards that offered me an internship and my first job. Ed was a true teacher at heart. His mentoring gave me a foundation in the egg business and a strong start to a young marriage. Steve Storm was Vice President for many years before retiring from our company and was the one who asked Laura and me to move to Utah. After our initial site visit, which revealed that Utah doesn’t have sweet tea or cornmeal, I politely declined the move. The next morning, Steve was in the processing plant. He sternly suggested that I rethink my answer and insisted that I would be glad later that I did. He was right, and I am glad that we took the leap of faith! Dolph Baker is the pillar that gave me the confidence to step into the COO role, and set me up for every opportunity I’ve had since then. Dolph’s wisdom, guidance, and patience have been a steady compass, and I’m proud to now call him both a mentor and dear friend,” said Miller
As far his work these days, Miller said “My career highlight happens each day I wake up. I am lucky to get to work with a group of people that are truly my best friends. And, I genuinely believe that we, as farmers, have one of the country’s most important jobs. Farmers are the backbone of America, and the humble egg plays an absolutely essential roles in the daily life of Americans across our country as a safe, affordable and nutritious protein source. Cal-Maine’s mission is to be the country’s most reliable and sustainable producer of fresh shell eggs, and it makes me proud to see how committed our whole team is to maintaining that standard.”
Miller said he does not get to see all of their employees across the 20 states where the company operates as often as he would like, but he does get a chance to interact with them regularly.
“I understand the dedication that each one of them has in making our company into the Cal-Maine Family,” said Miller. “It is an incredible honor to serve and represent them.
“I currently have the pleasure of representing our company to investors and working with our team on growth initiatives,” said Miller. “We are blessed to have a story that gets stronger each year. Our company’s founder, Mr. Fred Adams’s vision of supplying the country with the highest quality protein available continues. Eggs have tremendous tailwinds at the moment. The American Heart Association is now recommending eggs as a part of a heart-healthy diet and The American Academy of Pediatricians recommends eggs for the benefit of Choline from conception through two years of age. The United Nations has an initiative to find a way of providing at least one egg a day to individuals that often lack protein. Lastly, it is truly exciting to see a new generation of egg eaters in the making. Eggs are convenient and have great appeal for those who are always on the go.”
When not hard at work leading Cal-Maine, Miller said, “As much as I enjoy my job, it is a true blessing to spend time with my family. We enjoy spending time outdoors and are particularly fond of sunrises and sunsets. I have enjoyed countless days accompanying my sons on their adventures. Like my father did for me, we spend plenty of time working. It has been a true highlight to see how my sons enjoy work. Gardening, yard work, and other task are really fun when you have an outstanding wife and three young men by your side. We truly cherish going to Church and are grateful to live in a country that allows us that choice. We live in Ethel, and enjoy being close to our roots.”
As far as business advice he could give after such an incredible career that is still going strong? “Finding the right company with the right people makes each day inspirational. To get the opportunity to have a first job and last job with the same company makes me know that I landed both, the right company with the right people,” said Miller.