Ben E. Keith Company Awards Hormel Supplier of the Year

FORT WORTH, Texas — Hormel was named Ben E. Keith Foods’ 2023 Supplier of the Year. The 40th Annual Supplier Appreciation Day, was held October 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 Corporation, based in Austin, MN, 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 beloved brands.

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of our Supplier Appreciation Day, we 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 our 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

About Ben E. Keith Foods:

Ben E. Keith Foods is a broadline food distributor headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. With a footprint that extends to 20 states with 10 divisions in three time zones, Ben E. Keith is the 5th largest foodservice distributor in the United States. Ben E. Keith Foods has been in foodservice distribution for nearly 117 years.

For more information about Ben E. Keith contact: www.benekeith.com/food