CWT Farms International, Inc. has announced the appointment of Jay Daniels as President, effective August 1. Daniels will succeed Rickey Smith, who announced his retirement earlier this year after dedicating more than 40 years to the poultry industry, 29 of those years of service at CWT Farms International.

"Jay brings a wealth of experience and visionary leadership to his new role as President of CWT Farms,” said Christopher Hill, CEO. “Under his guidance, we will continue to focus on leadership in hatchery operations and our ongoing expansion plans. We anticipate the exciting future ahead for our organization under Jay’s leadership."

Daniels has worked in the poultry industry for more than 35 years with roles in hatcheries, production, customer support, marketing and forecasting. Jay joined CWT in 2023 as Director of Canadian Sales and Hatchery Operations. In this role, he was tasked to maintain the customer relationships CWT had established across Canada.

Daniels holds an associate’s degree in business management from the University of New Hampshire and a bachelor of science degree in marketing from Plymouth State University. He served on the US Poultry & Egg Association Board of Directors from 2005-2008 and as a member of the Executive Board for the Tennessee Poultry Association.

“I am excited to lead this forward-thinking company and tackle the challenge of our ever-evolving industry,” Daniels said. “The launch of our inaugural hatchery in Watertown, NY, expands our product line to include day-old chicks, fostering stronger collaborations with our valued customers. We remain committed to being a strategic partner to our clients around the world as we focus on helping them grow and succeed.