From planning when and how a package of bacon is going to be produced to when you pick it up and place it in your grocery cart, Allison Primm’s influence is there from start to finish. 

An associate product manager for Tyson Foods, Allison, a native of Rogers and a 2023 graduate from the University of Arkansas, is responsible for leading cross-functional teams responsible for the planning, production, distribution and marketing  of Wright Brand and Jimmy Dean bacon – which produce and distribute millions of pounds of bacon each year. 

In addition to all the opportunities to get involved in campus life and the NWA community, Allison says it was the strength of Walton College that cemented her decision to attend the U of A.  

“I am a fourth generation Razorback, so the U of A has always felt like home to me,” she said. 

“Entering college as a business major, I knew that the Walton College of Business is a great business school that would set me up well for any corporate job,” she says, by allowing her to make connections on campus and with the biggest companies in NWA. 

One of those companies is Tyson Foods, whose world headquarters is in Springdale, just a few minutes' drive from the Hill. Tyson is the country’s largest meat producer, and one of the largest in the world. As a happy coincidence, an alumna who had gone to school with Allison’s parents was an employee at Tyson and shared an open position with her. 

Now two years removed from graduation with degrees in international business and political science, Allison is an associate product manager in Tyson's prepared foods division, managing food service products - specifically, bacon – which are consumed in places like schools, hospitals and restaurants. 

She and her team of eight people are responsible for overseeing the planning, production, distribution and marketing of bacon from Tyson-owned brands.  

“The quality, consistency, branding, packaging and flavor of [these specific brands of] bacon in food service all depend on the decisions that my team makes,” she explains.  

“This business represents millions of pounds of product annually that feeds people across the country and abroad.” 

Though she’s based in Tyson’s Springdale headquarters, she travels to the various production facilities “to ensure they have the support they need to run efficiently.” 

Allison says she gets a lot of satisfaction in her career: “Tyson's mission is to feed the world like family, and in my role, I see firsthand how my work contributes to this mission.”

For more student and alumni success stories like Allison's, check out some of our previous #MyPathToSeniorWalk features: Michaela Parks, Mishek Musa, Kathryn Richardson, Jordan Lackey and others at our #MyPathToSeniorWalk website. If you'd like to be featured in the #MyPathToSeniorWalk series, please fill out the nomination form.