Ettinger to ring closing bell

Published 10:09 am Tuesday, July 10, 2012

To celebrate 75 years of Spam, Hormel Foods Corp. CEO Jeff Ettinger will ring The Closing Bell at the New York Stock Exchange today.

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Spam’s 75th anniversary celebration continues with a trip to Wall Street.

Hormel Foods Corp. President and CEO Jeff Ettinger will ring The Closing Bell at the New York Stock Exchange today to commemorate Spam’s 75th birthday. Ettinger will be joined by executives and guests of Hormel, as well as the company’s Spam spokescharacter, Sir Can-A-Lot.

“The 75th anniversary of the Spam brand marks a major milestone for our company,” Ettinger said in a news release. “We are ringing The Closing Bell today in recognition of the longevity of this beloved brand, as well the continued growth and success of Hormel Foods.”

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Since the iconic luncheon meat was introduced in 1937, Hormel has produced more than 7 billion cans around the world. Today, the majority of Spam luncheon meat is produced at the company’s Austin Plant, where ovens run non-stop, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to accommodate global demand.

Sir Can-A-Lot was introduced earlier this year as an embodiment of the Spam brand and has been appearing in TV and online ads while also serving as the guide for the redesigned spam.com.

In addition to the 75th anniversary of Spam in 2012, next year, the company will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Hormel Cure 81 hams.

“These brands are perfect examples of innovation leading to great success, and they are just as relevant today as they were when they were first introduced,” Ettinger said. “Hormel Foods is committed to driving innovation.”

For photos and video of the bell ringing, connect with Hormel on Twitter (@HormelFoodsCorp, @SPAMbrand) and the NYSE Euronext on Facebook (NYSE Euronext-Official Site), Twitter (@NYSE_Euronext) and YouTube (nysetv1). Follow tweets at hashtag #NYSEBell.