Tyson Foods named long-time partner Continental Express, Inc., their 2025 Rising Star Carrier of the Year following the Tyson Carrier Conference in Fayetteville, Arkansas on Wednesday.
Tyson is a household name for their chicken, pork, and beef, but they are also home to other familiar brands like Jimmy Dean®, Hillshire Farm®, and Ball Park®. As Tyson continues to see year-over-year growth in their brands, having strong logistics partnerships proves to be essential to connecting their innovative products to their customers.
Tyson’s annual Rising Star Award recognizes the dedicated partner who provides reliable service and utilizes excellent communication while “rising” to meet large quantities of freight volume and on-time delivery.
“This is an incredible honor,” said Continental Express Co-President Bradley Gottemoeller. “We deeply value the partnership Continental has with Tyson, and I’m proud of our team for executing top safety, service, and communication this year. Those are the values that drive our operations, and when Tyson gave us the opportunity to take on more business, those are the values that helped us get the job done.”
According to Tyson Foods, Continental Express delivered 99% on-time delivery in the past year and demonstrated excellent tender acceptance. Proactive and clear communication is important, too, since Tyson’s entire team gives input on their carrier award winners.
“One of the requirements to qualify for this award was at least a 20% increase in business with Tyson,” said Continental Express Director of Customer Relations Grant Mitchell. “We hit three times the needed threshold, and that puts us on pace for our second-largest year with Tyson ever.”
Continental Express has experienced historic growth in recent years also, which aids in their ability to take on more freight volume. As of 2025, Continental’s staff numbered over 800 employees nationwide. Their ninth and newest terminal in Oswego, Illinois, opened just last year.
“An attitude we’ve had at Continental Express for a long time is that we are an extension of our customers’ companies. Their goals are our goals. We have a great team of professional drivers, shop and office staff coming in and putting in the work every day. Every load, every phone call, putting our best foot forward, and working to help our customers meet those goals. We look forward to providing Tyson with top service for years to come,” said Gottemoeller.
The Tyson Rising Star Award marks Continental’s second carrier recognition of 2025, as they were honored by Abbott Nutrition as their carrier of the year in July.
