AUSTIN, Minn. — Hormel Foods Corporation (NYSE: HRL) and IGS Solar have announced the completion of the solar energy project at the Hormel Foods Swiss American Sausage Company facility in Lathrop, Calif. The completion was celebrated at a Flip the Switch Event yesterday at the manufacturing facility, which produces a variety of pepperoni and salami for foodservice pizza toppings.
IGS partnered with HOLT Renewables to install the solar array, which consists of approximately 2,000 panels constructed on both roof and ground space. The project is projected to generate roughly 1.2 million kilowatt hours (kWh) per year – enough to supply more than 15 percent of the plant’s annual electricity consumption.
The new solar array will help the environment by reducing greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 288 metric tons per year. That amount of emissions avoided is also equivalent to removing 61 cars from the road annually or avoiding burning over 314,000 pounds of coal.
“We are pleased to announce the completion of this project,” said Tom Raymond, director of environmental sustainability at Hormel Foods. “As a global branded food company, we place great emphasis on minimizing our environmental impacts. This project supports our environmental sustainability goals and is another example of our commitment and support of renewable energy.”
IGS and HOLT Renewables worked hand in hand with Hormel Foods to deliver this project that provides meaningful energy savings for the company. IGS Solar will own, operate and maintain the array. The company is assisting Hormel Foods to integrate solar generation into its energy portfolio while helping the company better control the long-term energy costs for its buildings.
“We’re thrilled that Hormel Foods has embraced solar energy to power its California operations, and we’re proud of this partnership between two Midwest companies,” said Brian Amicon, vice president of commercial solar for IGS. “This project shows the importance of energy sustainability and responsible use.”
“This project highlights the foundation of our business in providing renewable energy solutions efficiently and in line with client expectations,” said Craig Floyd, general manager at HOLT Renewables. “We applaud Hormel Foods in having the desire and ambition to bring renewable energy generation direct to their Lathrop, California, facility and allowing us the opportunity to lead the design and construction efforts on this project. Hormel Foods demonstrates their desire to be a leader in green initiatives and their support in realizing this project confirms this.”
In addition to this project, Hormel Foods also supports the renewable energy markets by subscribing to community solar gardens at five manufacturing locations, including a co-sponsorship with Westar Energy for its first community solar garden near Wichita, Kan., where the company manufactures most of its Hormel® Natural Choice® bacon products. The company also recently announced a virtual power purchase agreement for wind energy. When the wind energy project is completed in 2020, the company will become powered by nearly 50 percent renewable energy. For more information about the company’s environmental stewardship efforts, visit https://csr.hormelfoods.com/.
About Hormel Foods — Inspired People. Inspired Food.™
Hormel Foods Corporation, based in Austin, Minn., is a global branded food company with over $9 billion in annual revenue across more than 80 countries worldwide. Its brands include SKIPPY®, SPAM®, Hormel® Natural Choice®, Applegate®, Justin’s®, Wholly®, Hormel® Black Label®, Columbus® and more than 30 other beloved brands. The company is a member of the S&P 500 Index and the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats, was named on the “Global 2000 World’s Best Employers” list by Forbes magazine for three straight years, is one of Fortune magazine’s most admired companies, has appeared on Corporate Responsibility Magazine’s “The 100 Best Corporate Citizens” list for the 11th year in a row, and has received numerous other awards and accolades for its corporate responsibility and community service efforts. The company lives by its purpose statement — Inspired People. Inspired Food.™ — to bring some of the world’s most trusted and iconic brands to tables across the globe. For more information, visit www.hormelfoods.com and http://csr.hormelfoods.com/.
About HOLT Renewables, LLC.
With nearly a decade of solar construction experience, HOLT Renewable’s focus is on serving corporate and institutional clients nationwide to promote energy cost savings and fulfill their renewable energy goals. We have developed an extensive understanding of and alignment with our client’s needs and fulfillment of solar integration into their businesses. With a heavy focus on safety, reliability and on time, on budget practices we have successfully constructed solar assets throughout the country. Having experience in all forms of solar construction ranging from ground mounts, roof mounts and carports, we are an established turn-key solar EPC. As the largest CAT dealer in the U.S., the HOLT organization, headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, is a family-owned company who has been serving the heavy equipment, engine and power services industry for over 85 years. The company is guided by strong values based leadership principles.
About IGS
With nearly 30 years of experience in the energy industry, the IGS family of companies provide the following to more than 1 million customers across the country: natural gas, electricity and home protection products; power generation solutions off the grid; clean, domestic alternative fueling options; and solar solutions. The company empowers consumers to make choices that best fit their energy needs. IGS’s community investment program, IGS Impact, provides employees with opportunities to get involved with causes that are meaningful to both the company and to them personally.
