27 Facts About Hormel

Hormel originally focused on the packaging and selling of ham, sausage and other pork, chicken, beef and lamb products to consumers, adding Spam in 1937.

George A Hormel was born on 1860 in Buffalo, New York and worked in a Chicago slaughterhouse before becoming a traveling wool and hide buyer.

Hormel's travels took him to Austin and he decided to settle there.

Hormel handled the production side of the business and his partner, Albert Friedrich, handled the retail.

In 1915, Hormel began selling dry sausages under the names of Cedar Cervelat, Holsteiner and Noxall Salami.

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Hormel products began appearing in national magazines such as Good Housekeeping as early as 1916.

Hormel did so by arranging for more reliable capital management, by dismissing unproductive employees, and by continuing to develop new products, reportedly with the mantra “Originate, don't imitate.

In 1938, Jay C Hormel introduced the "Joint Savings Plan" which allowed employees to share in the profits of the company.

In 1959, Hormel was the first meatpacker to receive the Seal of Approval of the American Humane Society for its practice of anesthetizing animals before slaughter.

In 1986, Hormel Foods acquired Jennie-O Foods and began an exclusive licensing arrangement to produce Chi-Chi's brand products.

The following year, Hormel Foods introduced the Top Shelf line of microwavable non-frozen products.

Hormel added to their poultry offerings by purchasing Chicken by George, created by former Miss America Phyllis George, in 1988.

In 1984, Hormel introduced the Frank 'n Stuff brand of stuffed hot dogs.

Hormel Foods had avoided such drastic action, but by 1985, pressure to stay competitive remained.

That same year, Hormel Foods acquired The Turkey Store, the business was combined with Jennie-O Foods to form Jennie-O Turkey Store.

Hormel has been included in Corporate Responsibility magazine's list of the "100 best corporate citizens" for 10 consecutive years.

In 2008 an article in the New York Times, "SPAM Turns Serious and Hormel Turns Out More", detailed an overwhelming spike in the demand for SPAM, perhaps due to the flagging economy.

In 2013, Hormel Foods purchased Skippy—the best-selling brand of peanut butter in China and the second-best-selling brand in the world—from Unilever for $700 million; the sale included Skippy's American and Chinese factories.

In May 2015, Hormel revealed it would acquire meat processing firm Applegate Farms for around $775 million, expanding its range of meat products.

Also in 2016, Hormel acquired the nut butter producer Justin's for 280 million.

In 2019, Hormel was again named to one of the best places to work for LGBT equality, as the company obtained a 95 out of 100 score in the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index.

The almost-perfect score was due to the area of "equivalency in same and different-sex domestic partner medical and soft benefits", where Hormel received half-credit for providing parity in some, but not all, benefits.

In 2017, Hormel sold Clougherty Packing, owner of the Farmer John and Saag's brands, to Smithfield Foods.

In October 2017, Hormel announced it would acquire deli meat company Columbus Manufacturing for $850 million.

In September 2019, Hormel Foods announced that they had achieved their non-renewable energy use reduction goal a year ahead of schedule.

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Hormel closed its Don Miguel Foods factory in Dallas, Texas, which is a joint venture with a Mexico City company, Herdez Del Fuerte.

In October 2020, Hormel launched a bacon scented protective mask giveaway charity promotion.