Gustavus Swift

Gustavus Swift was born June 24, 1839 in Sagamore, Massachusetts. Swift was part of a large family, being one of twelve children. He was introduced to the meat-packing industry at a very early age; his father and several brothers were modestly successful butchers. At the age of sixteen, Swift wanted work as a butcher independently, so he decided he would move into the city to start work. Swift's father did not want him to leave home, so he offered him twenty-five dollars to stay and start his butchering business from the small town where he grew up. Swift took the offer, and used his start up capital to buy his first cow for twenty dollars. He slaughtered and sold cut meats out of the back of his father's wagon, making a modest profit. This would be the beginning of Swift's prominent career. He recognized just how easy it was to simply buy livestock, butcher it, and sell the cuts for a profit. The process was very simple. Swift repeated this process for several years, before attaining a four-hundred dollar loan from his uncle. He used this loan to open a local market in his hometown, where he got experience in retail. Although he was making a decent living in Sagamore, Swift had an appetite for success. In 1869, Swift moved to Clinton, Massachusetts, and became business partners with James Hathaway, forming the partnership Hathaway & Swift. Hathaway and Swift were very different individuals. Hathaway was about fifteen years older than Swift, and had considerably more experience in the meat industry. Hathaway was also much more conservative and less willing to accept risk in business ventures. Swift was the exact opposite. Any opportunity where risk or innovation could lead to profits, Swift would jump in head first. These contrasting personalities would soon lead to the end of their business relationship. Swift was always looking to improve inefficiencies in his industry. He paid specific attention to the supply chain that provided livestock.