Spam maker Hormel Foods has announced the appointment of Jeffrey M. Ettinger as chairman of its board of directors.

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Ettinger was elected to the position of president in 2004 and chief executive officer in 2005. He joined the company in 1989 and served in a variety of roles, including senior attorney, treasurer and president and chief executive officer of Jennie-O Turkey Store.


He succeeds Joel Joel W. Johnson, who leaves the post of chairman of the board after 11 years.


“Joel’s legacy as chairman of the board for Hormel Foods is his significant impact on the company’s product portfolio,” Ettinger said. “The emphasis on branding, the expansion into China, the growth of the turkey business and the advance into the ethnic foods category were key initiatives under his leadership. Under Joel, company sales more than doubled, earnings per share more than tripled and the stock price nearly quadrupled.”

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