Jennie-O

Jennie-O

Product type	Turkey, ground turkey, turkey burgers, turkey tenderloins
Owner	Hormel
Country	United States
Introduced	1940
Markets	Industry food processing
Previous owners	Earl B. Olson, founder
Website	www.jennieo.com

Jennie-O Foods Inc Plant #1, Willmar, Minnesota

Jennie-O processing plant, Willmar, Minnesota

Jennie-O Turkey Store is a brand name of turkey products. It is a subsidiary of the Hormel Foods Corporation in Willmar, Minnesota.

History

The company was founded by Earl B. Olson in 1940, when he began raising turkeys. In 1949, he bought the former Farmers Produce Company of Willmar and its turkey processing plant. ^[1] In 1953, it was renamed to Jennie-O after his daughter, Jennifer Olson. ^[2]

Wallace Jerome also played a role in the formation of the current Jennie-O organization. In 1941, Jerome founded the Turkey Store Company. ^[3]

The company was privately owned by the Olson family until 1986, when it was sold to Hormel Foods, of Austin, Minnesota. In February 2001, Jennie-O Foods, Inc., and The Turkey Store Company, consolidated under Hormel to create the brand Jennie-O Turkey Store. ^[4]

Locations

Jennie-O has a total of six company locations, five of which are in Minnesota and one in Wisconsin. ^[5] The Minnesota locations include Willmar/Spicer, Faribault, Montevideo, Pelican Rapids, and Melrose, along with Barron, Wisconsin.

References

1. "Earl B. Olson Obit". West Central Tribune. December 13, 2006.
2. Vezner, Tad (December 12, 2006). "Bad luck spurred Jennie-O founder". Twin Cities.com. Pioneer Press. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
3. "Our History". Jennie-O. Archived from the original on January 28, 2013. Retrieved February 16, 2012.
4. Albala, Ken; Allen, Gary (October 30, 2007). The Business of Food. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood. p. 307. ISBN   978-0313337253.
5. "Locations". Jennie-O. Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2015-03-23.