After renewing its emphasis on meat-centric innovation, Hillshire Brands feels as though its direction is clear and its employees are tightly focused on its goals.
Andy Hanacek, editor-in-chief of The National Provisioner, visited Hillshire Brands’ innovation center in Downers Grove, Ill., in December 2012 to discuss the role of the facility and the R&D department in the “new world” of Hillshire Brands, with Jeff George, senior vice president of Research & Development. This is the first installment of what is expected to be a quarterly check-in by Hanacek with the Hillshire team as it maneuvers through its first full year removed from the days of Sara Lee Corp. What follows is the first conversation between Hanacek and George:
Hanacek: What do all the changes that have been going on it Hillshire — from the overall corporate changes, to the divestitures and the like — mean for the innovation center?