Hormel was named Ben E. Keith Foods' 2023 Supplier of the Year. The 40th Annual Supplier Appreciation Day was held Oct. 2 at Ridglea Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas.

"Supplier of the Year is a designation we do not take lightly, and we are pleased to recognize Hormel this year," said Mike Sweet, president of Ben E. Keith Foods. "We have developed a strong relationship with Hormel, built on mutual dedication and service, over the many years of our partnership. We look forward to many more years to come."

Hormel Foods Corp., based in Austin, Minn., is a global branded food company with over $12 billion in annual revenue across more than 80 countries worldwide. Its brands include Planters, Skippy, Spam, Hormel Natural Choice, Applegate, Justin's, Wholly, Hormel Black Label, Columbus, Jennie-O and more than 30 other brands.

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of their Supplier Appreciation Day, Ben E. Keith Foods added a new award, Keith Institute's Educator of the Year. This award celebrates a partner who supports the growth and evolution of product training for the sales force.

Other category winners included:

• Produce: Lipman Family Farms 
• Dairy: Schreiber
• Frozen Foods: Rotella's Italian Bakery 
• Center-of-the-Plate Poultry/Seafood: Arista
• Center-of-the-Plate Beef/Pork: Hormel
• Grocery: Ventura Foods
• Non-Foods: Georgia Pacific
• Equipment and Supply Category: Libbey
• Educator of the Year: General Mills
• Ellington Award of Excellence: James Baker with Lipman Family Farms

Source: Ben E. Keith Co.