CWT Farms International Inc. announced that Rickey Smith will be retiring as president in July of this year.

Smith joined the company in 2015. He led the company as it has continued modernizing its feed mill and expanded operations into Kentucky and New York.

“We extend our profound appreciation to Rickey for his steadfast dedication and exceptional leadership, which have been instrumental in fostering our growth and success here at CWT,” said Christopher Hill, chief executive officer of CWT Farms International. “His extensive knowledge of the poultry industry has helped guide our expansion and his experience has been a great asset to our CWT management team. We all wish Rickey the very best in his retirement. He will be sorely missed.”

After graduating from the University of Georgia, Smith spent more than 40 years working in the poultry industry. Over that time, he worked with different breeders, production cycles, biosecurity challenges, vaccine requirements and overall bird health. In addition, he is experienced in financial analysis for all aspects of the industry.

The company has already started an executive search for Smith’s successor.