Hormel Foods Corp. recently awarded 65 suppliers with a 2010 Spirit of Excellence Award for their roles in the company’s continuous improvement process throughout the past year. These suppliers are from a variety of areas including contractors, pork procurement, provisions, ingredients, packaging and transportation.

“The Spirit of Excellence Awards recognize business partners that go above and beyond, making a positive impact on our business,” said Melanie A. Faust, director of purchasing at Hormel Foods. “It’s an honor to present these awards as a way to show our appreciation to these outstanding suppliers.”

Suppliers that qualified for the Spirit of Excellence Award maintained a minimum supplier rating index score of 92 throughout a 12-month period. This score is determined by a universal measurement system that began in 1990 to ensure each supplier is held to the same standards. Award criteria include meeting performance requirements, making on-time deliveries and providing high-level customer support.

In addition to the Spirit of Excellence Award, suppliers compete for the Hormel No. 1 Award every five years. This spring, the company will announce the Hormel No. 1 Award recipients. The award honors suppliers that have provided long-term, consistent, superior performance during the five-year period from 2006 to 2010. One of the criteria for the award requires recipients to have received a Spirit of Excellence Award during four out of five years. A special event will be held this summer to honor the Hormel No. 1 Award recipients.

Contractors: A.J. Lysne Contracting Corp.; East Penn Mfg.; Environmental Land Management LLC; Fehr Solutions LLC; Fox Electric; G E LeBlanc Inc.; Gleeson Constructors Inc.; Hyster Co.; The Joseph Co. Inc.; Kestner Electric Inc.; Kofab; Lou Rich Inc.; Multivac Inc.; Rockwell Automation; Superior Companies of Minnesota Inc.; Weber Inc.; Werner Electric Supply and Van Meter Industrial Inc.; Wolf-Tec Inc.

Pork procurement: Blue River Pork; David Reuter; Donald Gildner; John Regier; Ken Winse;; Marzolf Swine Inc.; New Fashion Pork; Paris Foods; Ron Nykamp

Provisions: Fieldale Farms Corp.

Purchasing: Airlite Plastics Co.; American Fuji Seal Inc.; Aramark Uniform Services; Ball Metal Food & Household Products Packaging; Bunzl Processor Division; Crown Cork & Seal Co. Inc.; Curwood Inc.; Dickson Industries Inc.; Ecolab Inc.; Fastenal Co.; Gamer Packaging Inc.; Graphic Packaging International Inc.; Hydrite Chemical Co.; Ideal; Kalle USA Inc.; Menasha Packaging Co. LLC; The Meyers Printing Cos. Inc.; Minnesota Corrugated Box Inc.; Morton Salt Inc.; Newly Weds Foods; Progressive Packaging Inc.; Red Arrow Products Co. LLC; RR Donnelley; Sealed Air Corp. Cryovac Division – Bags & Film; Sensient Technologies Corp.; Silgan Containers; Smyth Cos. Inc.; Viscofan USA; Walter G. Anderson Inc.; xpedx

Transportation: Commercial Services; Decker Truck Line Inc.; Dickey Transport Inc.; Holiday Express Corp.; McFarland Truck Lines Inc.; Midwest Coast Transport; Wenger Truck Line Inc.

Source: Hormel Foods Corp.