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Applegate Farms, LLC Hires Sustainable Meat Pioneer For Key Supply Chain Role

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Bridgewater, N.J.

The maker of Applegate® brand, the nation’s leading natural and organic meat brand, announced that Stefan Oellinger will assume the position of senior director of raw supply to lead the growth and development of the company’s highly differentiated supply chain.

Applegate Farms, LLC (Applegate) is a stand-alone subsidiary of Hormel Foods Corporation (NYSE: HRL).

Oellinger most recently led meat and poultry procurement for Fresh Direct, a leading online grocer serving the Northeast corridor (New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Washington, DC). As part of the Applegate senior leadership team, Oellinger will report to John Ghingo, Applegate president.

“Stefan has a vision for what a truly sustainable meat supply chain should look like and the know-how to build it,” said Ghingo. “His expertise in livestock production and online grocery is a unique combination that will be instrumental to the Applegate mission: Changing The Meat We Eat®.”

Oellinger’s experience in animal agriculture includes building a highly competitive meat program at Fresh Direct for more than eight years. Before joining Fresh Direct, he managed a no-antibiotics, no-added hormone beef company that brought certified organic grass-fed beef to market in 2002 and served major retailers and foodservice distributors.

“I look forward to bringing my passion for building progressive animal agriculture systems that connect consumers with environmentally and economically sustainable meat to Applegate,” said Oellinger.

Oellinger holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in agricultural applied economics and management from Cornell University and lives in New Jersey with his family.

About Applegate

Founded in 1987, Applegate produces high-quality natural and organic hot dogs, bacon, sausages, deli meats, cheese and frozen products. Our products are made without GMO ingredients, and we source from farms where animals are treated with care and respect and are allowed to grow at their natural rate, all part of our mission – Changing The Meat We Eat®. Natural can mean many things, but to Applegate natural means our food is:

  • From animals Applegate humanely raised without antibiotics, added hormones or growth promotants
  • From animals fed a vegetarian or pasture-centered diet (our beef is 100 percent grass-fed)
  • Free of added chemical nitrites, nitrates or phosphates
  • Free of artificial ingredients or preservatives

Applegate became a stand-alone subsidiary of Hormel Foods in July 2015. For more information about our products, visit www.applegate.com or talk with us on www.facebook.com/applegate or twitter.com/Applegate.

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 revenues across 75 countries worldwide. Its brands include SKIPPY®, SPAM®, Hormel® Natural Choice®, Applegate®, Justin’s®, Columbus®, Wholly® guacamole, Hormel® Black Label® 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 one of “The 100 Best Corporate Citizens” by Corporate Responsibility Magazine for the 11th year in a row, and has received numerous other awards and accolades for its corporate responsibility and community service efforts. In 2016, the company celebrated its 125th anniversary and announced its new vision for the future – Inspired People. Inspired Food.™ – focusing on its legacy of innovation. For more information, visit www.hormelfoods.com and https://www.hormelfoods.com/global-impact/.