Our History | About | Hormel Foods

Hormel Foods is a Fortune 500 company that manufactures and markets high-quality, brand-name food and meat products globally. While we are over 125 years old, we are just getting started.

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1891–1925

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1891

A Legacy is Born

George A. Hormel established Geo. A. Hormel & Co. in Austin, Minn.

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1898

Valuing Service

The company’s long tradition of supporting the U.S. military and its veterans began when three employees enlisted with the Minnesota National Guard to serve in the Spanish-American War. George Hormel promised full benefits and jobs upon their return.

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1901

Setting Sale

Following impressive sales of fresh pork products, the first sales branch opened in Minneapolis, Minn.

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1911

Ad-ing On

The first national advertising for the company appeared in Ladies Home Journal.

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1926–1950

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1926

Ham in a Can

Geo. A. Hormel & Co. developed the world’s first canned ham.

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Jay C. and George A. Hormel

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1927-1928

Passing the Torch

At age 67, George Hormel retired from handling day-to-day operations but continued to serve as chief executive officer. His son, Jay C. Hormel, was named acting president. Geo. A. Hormel & Co. became a public company in 1928.

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1935-1941

Master of Innovation

The transfer of leadership to Jay C. Hormel brought with it a daring new set of ideas for management, products and advertising. Legacy products Dinty Moore^® beef stew, Hormel^® chili and SPAM^® brand were introduced.

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1938

Family Feeling

Employees were brought to the forefront of focus with the establishment of guaranteed annual wages, a joint-earnings plan and an employee profit sharing trust.

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World War II

Serving Our Troops

With the passing of the Lend-Lease Act of 1941, Hormel Foods shipped up to 15 million cans of meat per week overseas, most of which were products from the iconic SPAM^® brand. By 1944, more than 90 percent of the canned foods were shipped for government use.

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1941 and 1942

Giving Back

The Hormel Foundation was created in 1941. The Hormel Institute followed the next year.

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1946

Hormel Girls

In a bold marketing move, Jay C. Hormel established the Hormel Girls, a traveling women’s drum-and-bugle corps, to promote Geo. A. Hormel & Co. products.

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1947

New Leader

After World War II, the company saw its first leader from outside the Hormel family, Tim Corey.

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1950–1975

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1955

Quality Reigns

Under the leadership of Bob Gray and then Tommy Thompson, the company shifted its focus from high-volume production to market-driven, innovative products.

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1959-1963

Big Time

Iconic products such as Hormel^®Little Sizzlers^® pork sausage and Hormel^®Cure 81^® hams were introduced during this era. Meanwhile, the SPAM^® brand had produced its billionth can.

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1969

Expanding Presence

Jim Holton led the company during an era of unprecedented investments and ideas. The company expanded its international presence and built 10 domestic facilities. The decision was also made to build a flagship plant in Austin, Minn., further solidifying the company’s small-town roots.

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1973

Label Conscious

Hormel Foods became the first meatpacking company to include nutritional labels on meat products.

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1976–2000

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1976

Money Talks

Annual sales topped $1 billion for the first time, largely in part from the strength of the company’s iconic brands.

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1979

New Era

The company was guided by Dick Knowlton through a whirlwind of intense industry competition and innovation.

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1982

Here to Stay

A new 1,089,000-square-foot plant – equivalent to approximately 23 football fields – opened in Austin, Minn. The $100 million building featured state-of-the-art processing equipment and was the largest investment in company history.

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1990

New York, New York

The company began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in 1990 and announced its seventh two-for-one stock split since its inauguration as a publicly traded entity.

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1993

Name Changer

Geo. A. Hormel & Co. was officially renamed Hormel Foods Corporation to more accurately reflect the company’s presence in the industry. Joel Johnson capitalized on this change and guided the company with a marketing perspective, incorporating new technologies such as brand-specific websites.

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2000–2017

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2000-2013

Growing Family

Under the leadership of Jeff Ettinger, the company made more than 10 acquisitions, including SKIPPY^® peanut butter; CytoSport, Inc., maker of Muscle Milk^® products; and Applegate Farms, LLC., maker of natural and organic meats. It also crafted a joint venture that resulted in MegaMex Foods, LLC.

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2011

Changing Lives

Hormel Foods introduced SPAMMY^®, a fortified, shelf-stable turkey spread, to help address childhood malnutrition throughout the world. The program has touched 8,300 families and more than 25 million servings have been distributed since 2011.

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2012

Sure Can

The SPAM^® brand celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2012 with the help of the company’s first-ever campaign spokescharacter, Sir Can-A-Lot^®.

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2014

Critical Nourishment

Hormel Foods announced a partnership with the Cancer Nutrition Consortium to provide cancer patients with nutritional offerings for their specific, individual needs during treatment.

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2015

Our Future

Jim Snee was named president and chief operating officer.

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2016

125 Years Old and Just Getting Started

The company celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2016, along with the grand opening of the new SPAM^® Museum in downtown Austin, Minn. Meanwhile, Jeff Ettinger, chairman of the board and chief executive officer, was named one of the World’s Best CEOs by Barron’s.

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2017

Bem-vindo!

Hormel Foods expanded its international portfolio into South America with the acquisition of Cidade do Sol in Brazil.

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