SPG was created in 1991 when Smithfield, Inc. and Carroll's Foods, Inc. purchased exclusive rights to NPD genetics in the United States from NPD(UK). At the time, American consumer wants were beginning to turn in the direction of healthier, leaner meat products and the European NPD pig fit the niche. The objective of the then new NPD(USA) venture was, therefore, to provide the United States with a pork product to rival chicken in its appeal to the health-conscious consumer.

Initially, three thousand nucleus animals of three breeds were imported from England and production began on four nucleus farms. Since that time, two more nucleus farms and a new breed have been added to production. Today, SPG, formerly NPD(USA), supports a 700,000 sow production pyramid that supplies roughly 13,000,000 lean market hogs each year. It is through SPG's unique performance testing procedure that the company has been able to meet its goals of identification and improvement of those genetics inherent to the lean product.