Hormel vs Kraft Heinz: Founders, CEOs and History

Company facts

Founders

CEOs and their tenures

Timeline: Hormel and Kraft Heinz side by side

1. 1869Kraft Heinz

   H.J. Heinz Begins Bottling Horseradish

   Henry John Heinz starts bottling horseradish in Sharpsburg, Pennsylvania, using clear glass bottles to demonstrate product purity, establishing the foundation for the Heinz brand.

2. 1876Kraft Heinz

   Introduction of Heinz Tomato Ketchup

   The Heinz company introduces its well-known tomato ketchup, which becomes the foundation of the company's global success and the most recognized condiment brand in the world.

3. 1891Hormel

   George A. Hormel & Company Founded

   George A. Hormel starts the company in Austin, Minnesota.

4. 1903Kraft Heinz

   James L. Kraft Starts Cheese Business

   James L. Kraft starts a wholesale cheese business in Chicago with a horse and wagon, laying the groundwork for what would become the Kraft Foods empire.

5. 1915Kraft Heinz

   Kraft Develops Pasteurized Cheese Process

   Kraft develops a pasteurization process that allows cheese to be packaged and shipped without spoiling, leading to contracts with the US military during World War I.

6. 1937Hormel

   SPAM Introduced

   Hormel introduces SPAM, creating one of the world's most recognizable shelf-stable protein brands.

7. 1937Kraft Heinz

   Introduction of Kraft Dinner

   Kraft introduces Kraft Dinner (Macaroni & Cheese), a product that becomes a staple of the American diet during the Great Depression and World War II due to its affordability and long shelf life.

8. 1959Kraft Heinz

   Introduction of Kraft Singles

   Kraft introduces Kraft Singles, individually wrapped processed cheese slices that become one of the best-selling cheese products in the United States.

9. 1985Hormel

   Austin Plant Strike

   Workers at the Hormel plant in Austin, Minnesota, went on strike in August 1985 in a dispute that lasted into 1986.

10. 1988Kraft Heinz

    Philip Morris Acquires Kraft

    Philip Morris Companies acquires Kraft for $12.9 billion, one of the largest corporate acquisitions in history at the time, marking the beginning of a new era of consolidation for the company.

11. 1993Hormel

    Renamed Hormel Foods

    Geo. A. Hormel and Company was renamed Hormel Foods Corporation in 1993.

12. 2001Hormel

    Jennie-O Acquisition

    Hormel expands its turkey platform through Jennie-O Turkey Store.

13. 2010Kraft Heinz

    Kraft Acquires Cadbury

    Kraft Foods acquires the British confectionery giant Cadbury for $19.6 billion, significantly expanding its global snack and confectionery portfolio before spinning off its North American grocery business in 2012.

14. 2013Hormel

    Skippy Acquisition

    Hormel acquires Skippy, adding a major peanut-butter brand to the portfolio.

15. 2015Hormel

    Acquired Applegate Farms

    Hormel Foods acquired Applegate Farms for $775 million. Hormel executed a strategic acquisition of Applegate Farms for $775 million to capture the rapidly growing consumer demand for natural, organic, and antibiotic-free premium meat products.

16. 2015Kraft Heinz

    Merger of Kraft and Heinz

    Kraft Foods Group merges with H.J. Heinz Holding Corporation, owned by Berkshire Hathaway and 3G Capital, on July 2, 2015.

17. 2019Kraft Heinz

    $15.4 Billion Impairment and SEC Probe

    Kraft Heinz records a $15.4 billion impairment of Kraft and Oscar Mayer brand and goodwill values, cuts its dividend, and discloses an SEC subpoena over procurement accounting. The SEC case was settled in 2021 with a $62 million penalty.

18. 2020Kraft Heinz

    Divestiture of Natural Cheese Business

    Kraft Heinz agrees to sell most of its natural cheese business to Lactalis for about $3.2 billion; the deal closed in 2021, the same year Planters was sold to Hormel for $3.35 billion.

19. 2021Hormel

    Planters Acquisition

    Hormel acquires the Planters snack nuts portfolio from Kraft Heinz.

20. 2025Hormel

    CEO Transition

    John Ghingo is elevated to president and Jeffrey M. Ettinger becomes interim CEO effective July 14, 2025.

21. 2025Hormel

    FY2025 Net Sales of $12.106B

    Hormel reports FY2025 net sales of $12.106 billion and net earnings attributable to Hormel Foods of $478.197 million.

22. 2025Kraft Heinz

    FY2025 Net Sales Fall to $24.942 Billion

    Kraft Heinz reported $24.942 billion in FY2025 net sales, a $4.669 billion operating loss, a $5.846 billion net loss, and about 35,000 employees after non-cash impairment losses weighed on results.

23. 2026Hormel

    Brazil Divestiture

    Hormel agreed to sell its Brazil (Ceratti) business in Q3 fiscal 2026; the sale closed early in Q4.

24. 2026Hormel

    Brakebush Agreement

    Hormel agreed to buy value-added chicken company Brakebush Brothers for about $1.055 billion.

25. 2026Kraft Heinz

    Steve Cahillane Appointed CEO

    Steve Cahillane becomes CEO on January 1, 2026. In February he pauses the planned separation into two companies and commits about $600 million of extra investment, raised to about $700 million in August 2026.

26. 2026Kraft Heinz

    Q2 2026 Beat and $7.4 Billion Impairment

    Q2 2026 net sales fall 1.4% to $6.262 billion, beating forecasts; Kraft Heinz raises its 2026 organic sales outlook but records a $7.4 billion non-cash impairment.

Acquisitions

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