This June, Hormel Foods announced the Lou-Rich Hayward facility as a recipient of their 2020 Spirit of Excellence Award. “The Spirt of Excellence is a prestigious supplier award presented annually to a select group of business partners who have contributed to the success of the Hormel Foods Corporation. Through our partnership and your company’s commitment to excellence, Hormel Foods continues to be a leader within the food industry by providing a balanced portfolio of innovative and quality products,” said Jim Snee, CEO of Hormel Foods.
Lou-Rich and Hormel Foods began their relationship back in 1978, when Hormel engineers and Lou-Rich machinists worked together on Hormel’s first Midsection Skinner machines. The Lou-Rich Hayward facility specializes in manufacturing custom automation equipment for Hormel that you can’t buy off the shelf. Their products include anything from single pieces of equipment to complete product lines. The Lou-Rich Hayward facility designs, machines, builds, assembles, tests, installs, and maintains the equipment. A few examples of products Lou-Rich has made include slicing equipment, conveying equipment, packaging equipment, and platform/structure equipment.
When asked what getting this award means to the Lou-Rich Hayward team, Galen Berg, Lou-Rich Hayward Manager stated, “For me it is justification that we are doing what we intend to do all the time, satisfying our customers and helping them be successful, and in turn, having Lou-Rich known as the go-to source to get things done. It is a great award for the whole group here in Hayward. It’s the teamwork of both Lou-Rich and Hormel employees that make us successful. It’s great being part of this group. There are few places where you can come to work and start out with a blank piece of paper and eventually end up with equipment that can do some amazing things. It’s something you can be proud of.”
