WILLMAR, Minn. — Melanie Faust began her career with Hormel Foods in 1995 working at its Austin plant. Now she is responsible for all seven of the corporation’s Jennie-O Turkey processing plants.

Faust has been named Jennie-O Turkey Store vice president of operations, according to a report in the West Central Tribune in Willmar. She is replacing Don Cole who retired in June.

As vice president, Faust will be responsible for all seven of the company’s processing plants, the report says. She will be headquartered at the corporate office in Willmar.

Faust’s career with Hormel Foods began in 1995 at the Austin plant where she held a number of supervisory positions.

In 1998, she became associate buyer for the corporate purchasing group and was named buyer for the corporate purchasing group in 2000.

In 2002, she was promoted to purchasing manager at the Austin Plant and, in 2007, she was named corporate manager for purchasing applications.

She became director of purchasing in 2008 and oversaw the purchasing decisions for the entire company.

In 2014 she became the director of operations in China for Hormel Foods International Corporation.