Smithfield Packing Company was founded in 1936 by Joseph W. Luter and his son Joseph W. Luter, Jr. in the Town of Smithfield along a tributary of the James River in Isle of Wight County, Virginia, USA to produce Smithfield hams.

In 1962, with Smithfield already on its way to becoming the "Ham Capital of the World", Joseph W. Luter III became the company's leader. Expanding the plant's facilities and product line became the key to a growth cycle that promoted Smithfield Packing Company from a family business into a large, investor-owned and publicly traded company. Today the company retains its family heritage and has become a worldwide marketer of pork products, the largest subsidiary of Smithfield Foods, a Fortune 500 company, and one of America's largest meat companies. It also owns the largest slaughterhouse in the world. Smithfield Foods Inc. has also received the nations largest water quality violation fine of $1.2 million dollars.

In 1997 the Smithfield workers in Tar Heel, North Carolina held union elections. Smithfield Foods operates with its own armed police force with authority to arrest and detain workers on its property. The company police force armed and with riot gear surrounded the plant on election day. After the vote union supporters were physically assaulted and falsely arrested by the Bladen County, North Carolina Sheriff's Deputies. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) found Smithfield guilty of "egregious violations of federal labor law." The Administrative Law Judge found that Smithfield engaged in repeated labor law violations, but lacks the authority to impose fines on companies that violate labor laws. Assaulted workers are still awaiting backpay determinations from the NLRB Administrative Law Judge. The slaughterhouse is located at 200 Commerce St Smithfield, VA