Forty Under 40: Tyler Dees

Tyler Dees leads the Walmart and Sam’s Club team at Siloam Springs-based poultry producer Simmons Foods, selling $100 million in retail products annually.

The Siloam Springs native fell in love with the Walmart business world and worked for juice manufacturer Welch’s and bread maker Sara Lee before joining Simmons Foods in 2014. Dees was category adviser for shelf-stable juice for Walmart and Sam’s Club between 2011 and 2014. He was account manager in replenishment for Sara Lee, from 2009 to 2011.

Through church and friends, he learned about an opportunity to join the Walmart team at Simmons Foods and joined the company as director of business development, national sales accounts. Since joining the company, he’s worked to add business from retailers, such as Target, and in the foodservice industry, including Buffalo Wild Wings. He developed a licensing program, leading to new products like the Nickelodeon PAW Patrol chicken nuggets.

“I jokingly tell people that Simmons is the company you’ve never heard of but the chicken you’ve probably eaten,” he said.

Over the past five years, he’s helped to grow business by 22%.

Dees received three degrees from John Brown University and played on the men’s basketball team, which won the NAIA national championship in 2005. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business management in 2008, a master’s degree in leadership and ethics in 2012 and an MBA in 2013.

Dees serves as the chairman for the Siloam Springs Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and has been a volunteer for the Siloam Springs Basketball Association, Siloam Springs Futbol Club and Sager Creek Community Church. He’s a Duke basketball and Razorback fan and spends his free time at his children’s sporting events and in Bible study.