UT Tyler Office of Marketing and Communications

John Soules Foods to Make Major Investment in UT Tyler Business College

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February 19, 2018

Media Contact:  Hannah Buchanan
Editor/Writer–Strategic Communications & Media Relations
Marketing and Communications
The University of Texas at Tyler
903.539.7196 (cell)

The University of Texas at Tyler announced today it would rename the College of Business & Technology to the Soules College of Business. The new name is part of an agreement for John Soules Foods to make a major investment supporting student success at the college.

The investment will be the largest single private contribution to the university in its history.

"We are extremely grateful to the Soules family and John Soules Foods for this investment that will have a tremendous impact on thousands of students who attend the Soules College of Business," said Dr. Michael Tidwell, UT Tyler president. "John Soules Foods is leading the way in showing how private business can partner in The University of Texas at Tyler's vision to be the economic and educational driver of East Texas."

The contribution will augment the university endowment, providing funds in perpetuity for Soules College of Business student scholarships, business innovation grants and research.

"The John Soules Family welcomes this opportunity to combine the unlimited talent and potential of The University of Texas at Tyler with the John Soules Foods team of dedicated women and men to better serve the American and global consumer," said John Soules Sr., Chairman of John Soules Foods. "Together we will discover new ways to bring value to the marketplace. This alliance will create a venue for academic knowledge to apply theory and to offer firsthand training to students."

The investment comes at a time of significant growth in the business college. The university is expected to open a new 140,000-square-foot facility this fall to house the programs serving the 2,700 students enrolled in the Soules College of Business. The largest of UT Tyler's six colleges, the Soules College of Business is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the Association of Technology, Management and Applied Engineering (ATMAE), and the Category Management Association, one of only four schools in the nation to receive such distinction.

"The entrepreneurship opportunities this investment will unlock for our students and faculty are exciting and will enable our college to expand its leadership footprint in business education," said Dr. James Lumpkin, dean of the Soules College of Business. "These resources will help enhance the quality and quantity of the business leaders we graduate who will go on to serve in Tyler, across East Texas and around the world.

About John Soules Foods
John Soules Foods was established in 1975 and is the nation's leading formulator, manufacturer and marketer of ready-to-cook and fully-cooked beef and chicken fajita products. John Soules Foods' operations are based in Tyler, Texas. The company's products are sold under the John Soules Foods brand as well as a select number of private label brands for a number of the country's premier retailers. More information about John Soules Foods and its products may be found at http://www.johnsoulesfoods.com.

About The University of Texas at Tyler
A member of the prestigious UT System, The University of Texas at Tyler focuses on student success and innovative research in the more than 80 undergraduate and graduate degree programs offered. With more than 10,000 students, UT Tyler has facilities in Tyler, Longview, Palestine and Houston.