Filed by Tyson Foods, Inc.
Pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act of 1933
and deemed filed pursuant to Rule 14a-12(b)
under the Securities Act of 1934
Subject Company: IBP, inc.
Commission File No. 1-6085
June 28, 2001

Press Release issued by Tyson, Inc. and IBP, inc. dated June 28, 2001

Media Contacts:                     Ed Nicholson, Tyson                       Gary Mickelson, IBP
                                                501-290-4591                               605-235-2986

Investor Contacts:                   Louis Gottsponer, Tyson                 Dean Hanish, IBP
                                                501-290-4826                               605-235-2167

  

Tyson and IBP Announce New Directors

Springdale, AR---June 28, 2001 Tyson Foods, Inc. (NYSE: TSN) and IBP, inc. (NYSE: IBP) today announced that two current members of IBP's board of directors have agreed to join the board of Tyson Foods, Inc. upon completion of the planned merger of the companies.

John Tyson, chairman, president and CEO of Tyson Foods, said, "We are pleased that Bob Peterson and Dick Bond have agreed to join our board. We will have many important decisions as we combine our two great companies. Their insight and experience will be invaluable."

Bob Peterson, IBP chairman and CEO, said, "I look forward to joining John and the others to create what I believe will be a global protein powerhouse. The combined expertise and resources of these two companies will benefit shareholders, as well as food customers and consumers throughout the world."

About Tyson Foods, Inc.

Tyson Foods, Inc., headquartered in Springdale, Ark., is the world's largest fully integrated producer, processor and marketer of chicken and chicken-based convenience foods, with 68,000 team members and 7,000 contract growers in 100 communities. Tyson has operations in 18 states and 16 countries and exports to 79 countries worldwide. Tyson is the recognized market leader in almost every retail and foodservice market it serves. Tyson's Cobb-Vantress subsidiary is a leading chicken breeding stock supplier. In addition, Tyson is the nation's second largest maker of corn and flour tortillas under the Mexican Original® brand, as well as a leading provider of live swine.

About IBP, inc.

IBP, inc., headquartered in Dakota Dunes, South Dakota, is the world's largest supplier of premium fresh beef and pork products, with more than 60 production sites in North America, joint venture operations in China, Ireland and Russia and sales offices throughout the world. The company, which generated annual sales exceeding $16.9 billion in 2000, employs 52,000 people.

Forward Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this communication are "forward-looking statements," such as statements relating to future events and the proposed Tyson merger with IBP. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from historical experience or from future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Among the factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, the statements are the following: (i) the risk that Tyson and IBP will not successfully integrate their combined operations; (ii) the risk that Tyson and IBP will not realize estimated synergies; (iii) unknown costs relating to the proposed merger; (iv) risks associated with the availability and costs of financing, including cost increases due to rising interest rates; (v) fluctuations in the cost and availability of raw materials, such as feed grain costs; (vi) changes in the availability and relative costs of labor and contract growers; (vii) market conditions for finished products, including the supply and pricing of alternative proteins; (viii) effectiveness of advertising and marketing programs; (ix) changes in regulations and laws, including changes in accounting standards, environmental laws, and occupational, health and safety laws; (x) access to foreign markets together with foreign economic conditions, including currency fluctuations; (xi) the effect of, or changes in, general economic conditions; and (xii) adverse results from on-going litigation. Tyson undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

 

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

        TYSON'S OFFER WILL BE MADE ONLY BY WAY OF AN OFFER TO PURCHASE AND RELATED LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL AND ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS. MORE DETAILED INFORMATION PERTAINING TO TYSON'S OFFER AND PROPOSED MERGER WITH IBP WILL BE SET FORTH IN APPROPRIATE FILINGS TO BE MADE WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION ("SEC"), IF AND WHEN MADE. SHAREHOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ ANY RELEVANT DOCUMENTS THAT MAY BE FILED WITH THE SEC BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. SHAREHOLDERS WILL BE ABLE TO OBTAIN A FREE COPY OF ANY FILINGS CONTAINING INFORMATION ABOUT TYSON, LASSO AND IBP, WITHOUT CHARGE, AT THE SEC'S INTERNET SITE (HTTP://WWW.SEC.GOV). COPIES OF ANY FILINGS CONTAINING INFORMATION ABOUT TYSON CAN ALSO BE OBTAINED, WITHOUT CHARGE, BY DIRECTING A REQUEST TO TYSON FOODS, INC., 2210 WEST OAKLAWN DRIVE, SPRINGDALE, ARKANSAS 72762-6999, ATTENTION: OFFICE OF THE CORPORATE SECRETARY (501) 290-4000.

Tyson and certain other persons named below may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies. The participants in this solicitation may include the directors and executive officers of Tyson. A detailed list of the names of Tyson's directors and officers is contained in Tyson's proxy statement for its 2001 annual meeting, which may be obtained without charge at the SEC's Internet site (http://www.sec.gov) or by directing a request to Tyson at the address provided above.

As of the date of this communication, none of the foregoing participants individually beneficially owns in excess of 5% of IBP's common stock. Except as disclosed above and in Tyson's proxy statement for its 2001 annual meeting and other documents filed with the SEC, to the knowledge of Tyson, none of the directors or executive officers of Tyson has any material interest, direct or indirect, by security holdings or otherwise, in Tyson or IBP.

This communication is not an offer to purchase shares of IBP, nor is it an offer to sell shares of Tyson Class A common stock which may be issued in any proposed merger with IBP. Any issuance of Tyson Class A common stock in any proposed merger with IBP would have to be registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and such Tyson stock would be offered only by means of a prospectus complying with the Act.