Long-Term Prospects and Future Growth Potential At this point, it appears likely that D.E. Master Blenders will remain independent for several years to come. By contrast, Hillshire Brands has already sparked takeover speculation among market-watchers. In particular, Springdale, Arkansas-based Tyson Foods, Inc. (NYSE: TSN ) appears well-positioned to subsume the smaller company into its operations. As one of the world's largest independent producers of chicken products, Tyson would find a natural complement in Hillshire's pork-centric offerings. However, Tyson is encumbered by a fair amount of debt. Any theoretical buyout would be complicated by the need for Tyson to find a source of leverage. Additionally, Hillshire's share-price strength has rendered it less attractive as an immediate takeover prospect. In fact, prospective buyers would be imprudent to act before seeing multiple quarterly earnings reports.