BOSTON — Hormel Foods Corp.'s Foodservice business unit accounts for approximately one-third of company-wide sales and half of its profits. The ascension of the business unit within the organization reflects the pressures foodservice operators are under to better manage costs and streamline operations.
"I think if you step back and look at our Foodservice performance over time, we have proven the business model we have to be very unique and durable to grow even in down markets when industry challenges persist," said John Ghingo, president of the company, during a Sept. 9 presentation at the Barclays Global Consumer Staples Conference.
During the third quarter of fiscal 2026, ended July 26, Hormel's Foodservice business segment profit rose 3% to $144.5 million from $141 million the year before. Quarterly sales rose 2% to $1 billion from $987 million the year before.
Ghingo identified three attributes of the business unit he sees fueling additional growth.
"One is our value-added portfolio and the innovation we continue to bring to that portfolio," he said. "We need to continue to create more value."
Second is the company's direct sales team that works with operators to ...