AUSTIN, MINN. — At Hormel Foods Corp., Clint Walters has been promoted to vice president of Refrigerated Foods, and John Forsythe has advanced to vice president of Grocery Products. Both promotions will take place in spring 2021.
Mr. Walters is currently plant manager of Hormel’s Austin, Minn., manufacturing facility. He began his career in 1995 at Dold Foods and held various production supervisor and superintendent roles at both Dold and Osceola Food. Mr. Walters also held plant manager roles at Lloyd's Barbeque Co. and later was promoted to plant manager at Osceola Food. He assumed his current role in 2016.
In his new role as vice president of Refrigerated Foods, Mr. Walters will be responsible for the production plants and co-packer operations for the segment. He will succeed Donnie Temperley, who plans to retire in the spring after being with Hormel since 1982. Mr. Temperley has been in his current role since May 2016.
Mr. Forsythe is currently plant manager of Hormel’s manufacturing facility in Atlanta. He began his career with the company in 2000 as an industrial engineer and moved into plant operations leadership in 2011, assuming superintendent and plant manager roles in California, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Mr. Forsythe moved into his current role in 2016.
In his new role as vice president of Grocery Products, Mr. Forsythe will maintain responsibility for the production plants and co-packer operations for the division. He will succeed Tim Fritz, who joined Hormel in 1984 and was named to his current position in April 2016. Mr. Fritz intends to retire in the spring.
“Donnie and Tim have been inspiring leaders, playing important operational roles for Hormel Foods,” said James P. Snee, chairman of the board, president and chief executive officer of Hormel Foods. “They joined Hormel Foods at almost the same time, and throughout their distinguished nearly 40-year careers, they have been instrumental in creating a safe, innovative and highly valued plant operations enterprise. Our entire organization is better because of their leadership, and we wish them well in their respective retirements. Fortunately, we have an incredible depth of experience within Hormel Foods, and that certainly is the case with Clint and John, who will be assuming these important operational roles. I am confident that they will move into these roles seamlessly and continue our track record of operational excellence.”
Replacing Mr. Walters as plant manager of Hormel’s Austin plant is Kari Pollak, who is currently plant manager for the company’s Progressive Processing facility. She first joined Hormel in 1999 as a production supervisor at the Austin facility. Over her more than 20 years with the company, she has held supervisory and leadership roles at several of Hormel’s food manufacturing facilities, including serving as plant manager for Swiss American Sausage Co. operations.
Scott Clark will succeed John Forsythe as plant manager of Hormel’s Atlanta production facility. Currently production manager at the plant, Mr. Clark previously held various operational and management leadership roles with J&J Snack Foods Corp., Conagra Brands and Kraft Foods.