It all began in 1949. The U.S. was recovering from World War II and about to enter the "good days" of the 50's. With his partner Frank Pluss, M.H. "Bill" Simmons established a broiler processing plant in a renovated hotel in Decatur, Arkansas that quickly proved to be too small.  Three years later the company, which was known as Pluss Poultry after co-founder Frank Pluss, moved to Siloam Springs, Arkansas into a brand new plant that was the largest and most modern in the world at the time.

     In 1952 Bill Simmons started processing poultry by-products near Siloam Springs, Arkansas.  During the late 1950's and 1960's this plant grew into one to the largest poultry by-products rendering plants in the U. S.

     Bill Simmons was an innovator and forward thinking entrepreneur that established a philosophy, still seen in the company today, of meeting industry's future needs.  It was 1953 that Bill Simmons innovation of hydrolyzing feathers into a highly digestible protein livestock and poultry feed ingredient set the standard used today for the industry.  In 1968 Simmons was one of industry's first to convert from batch to continuous cooking poultry by-products.

     Bill Simmons purchases his partner's share in 1955 and dropped an "s" to change the name to Plus Poultry.  In 1973 the name was again changed to the current name of Simmons.

     During the 1950's and 1960's Simmons poultry by-product business expanded to one of the largest in the industry.  The company opened and operated plants in Paris, AR., Monet, MO., Joaquin, TX., Willmar, MN. and Rich Hill, MO.

     In 1973 Simmons largest rendering plant, near Siloam Springs, AR., burned and was not rebuilt.  In the late 1960's and 1970's the Monett, MO., Willmar, MN. and Rich Hill, MO. plants were closed.

In 1982 Simmons purchases O'Brien Poultry Company at Southwest City, MO.  This purchase included a poultry rendering plant 30 miles from the Simmons poultry processing plant and company headquarters.

     From 1982 to date, the Southwest City, MO. facility has been completely rebuilt and expanded to one of the industry's most modern and efficient plants ranking as one of the top 5 capacity plants in the world.  The plant specializes in producing High Quality Poultry By-Product Meal and Poultry Fat for the pet food industry and Premium Feather meal for cattle feeding and dairy industry in the high plains.