Hormel Foods Recognized as Top U.S. Corporate Citizen

AUSTIN, Minn. — Hormel Foods (NYSE: HRL) today announced the company’s recognition on the 10th annual 100 Best Corporate Citizens in the U.S. List compiled by Corporate Responsibility Officer (CRO) magazine. Hormel Foods was ranked 40th on the list. This is the first year Hormel Foods was recognized by CRO magazine.

The annual CRO ranking is the most recognized ranking of Russell 1,000® Index companies and is based on publicly available data. Seven key areas — environment, climate change, human rights, philanthropy, employee relations, financial and governance — are used to rank each company’s performance.

“In tough times, strong reputations and transparency pack as much punch as a strong balance sheet,” said Jay Whitehead, CRO publisher. “In today’s deep recession, human capital and financial capital seek safety, and companies on the 100 Best List are today’s safest harbors.”

Hormel Foods’ Corporate Responsibility (CR) report publicly discloses information about many of the seven key areas used for the CRO ranking. This report was awarded top honors in the Sustainability/Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Report category at the PR News Awards on Feb. 26.