US poultry processor Perdue Farms has promoted chief operating officer Randy Day to the post of CEO.

Day, who has been COO since May last year, becomes only the fourth CEO in the company’s near 100-year history. He succeeds Jim Perdue, who was previously chairman and CEO and who remains chairman. Day will also serve on the family-owned company’s board of directors.

Day joined Perdue Farms in 1980 and has held various positions of increasing responsibility in Perdue Foods and Perdue AgriBusiness. Prior to his appointment as COO, Day was president of Perdue Foods since February 2015.

Jim Perdue said: “Randy has done an outstanding job as COO over the past year and he has my trust and the trust of our leadership team in this new role.”

Last year, Perdue Farms announced it was extending its antibiotic-free poultry aim to now cover all of its value-added chicken products sold in grocery and foodservice in the US.