43°40′9.5″N 92°58′28.5″W / 43.669306°N 92.974583°W / 43.669306; -92.974583
74-654: The Spam Museum is an admission-free museum in Austin, Minnesota , dedicated to Spam , a brand of canned precooked meat products made by Hormel Foods Corporation. The museum tells the history of the Hormel company, the origin of Spam, and its place in world culture. The Spam Museum originated in January 1991 as the Hormel Foods First Century Museum , when Hormel opened a small storefront company museum in celebration of
148-402: A Chicago slaughterhouse before becoming a traveling wool and hide buyer. His travels took him to Austin and he decided to settle there. He borrowed $ 500 and opened a meat business. Hormel handled the production side of the business and his partner, Albert Friedrich, handled the retail. Their partnership dissolved in 1891 as Hormel started his own meat packing operation in northeast Austin in
222-650: A North American Hockey League team that began play during the 2010–11 season. The team finished 1st in the Central Division in the 2012–13, 2013–14, and 2014–15 seasons, and advanced to the Robertson Cup Finals in 2014 and 2015, though ultimately losing the championship both times. The Bruins play their home games at Riverside Arena . Austin previously was represented in Junior hockey by the Austin Mavericks ,
296-956: A community choir (Northwestern Singers ) and several community bands (Austin Community Band, Austin Community Jazz Band, and the Austin Big Band ). Austin has produced many professional musicians of regional and national acclaim, including John Maus , Trace Bundy , Charlie Parr , Martin Zellar , Matthew Griswold , and Molly Kate Kestner . In 2015 the MacPhail Center for Music , based in Minneapolis, Minnesota , opened its first outstate location in Austin, at Riverland Community College. MacPhail's Austin campus provides individual instruction on nearly
370-522: A creamery building on the Cedar River. To make ends meet in those early days, Hormel continued to trade in hides, eggs, wool, and poultry. The name Dairy Brand was first used in 1903. In the first decade of the 20th century distribution centers were opened in St. Paul , Minneapolis , Duluth , San Antonio , Dallas , Chicago , Atlanta , and Birmingham . In 1915, Hormel began selling dry sausages under
444-646: A dozen musical instruments for adults and children, as well as large ensembles and early childhood music instruction. Theater The Frank W. Bridges Theatre is home to an active theatre program at Riverland Community College, while Matchbox Children's Theatre, established in 1975, provides shows year-round for both adults and children. Summerset Theatre, a community theater company organized in 1968, also presents several shows per year. ArtWorks Center The Austin ArtWorks Center, established in 2014, hosts gallery exhibits, educational classes, performance space, and
518-415: A group known as Compassion Over Killing at an Austin, Minnesota processing plant, Hormel Foods announced it was "bringing humane handling officers to a Quality Pork Processors Incorporated facility to ensure compliance with its own animal welfare standards." It has also told QPP to provide extra training, enhance compliance oversight and increase third-party auditing. According to Reuters, "in one scene of
592-403: A household in the city was $ 33,750, and the median income for a family was $ 42,691. Males had a median income of $ 31,787 versus $ 23,158 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 20,651. About 7.5% of families and 10.9% of the population were below the poverty line . With Hormel 's corporate headquarters and main production facility in Austin, food processing plays a dominant role in
666-570: A major flood mitigation program. This involved the purchase and demolition of buildings within the floodplain, converting low-lying areas of town to parks, and the installation of a flood wall to protect downtown. After two major floods in July 1978, city officials and local residents decided to take action. Locals organized the Floodway Action Citizens Task Source (FACTS), which met with local and state leaders, as well as members of
740-415: A major redevelopment project at the site of the former Oak Park Mall. The city is embarking on a community development project, Vision 2020. This grassroots movement was chartered in 2011 to implement ten major new community initiatives that could be completed by 2020. It includes a variety of projects related to economic development, heath and wellness, education, and tourism. A community recreation center
814-579: A new round of buyouts took place through the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP). The worst flooding on record came when the Cedar River crested at 23.4 feet (7.1 m) in the spring of 2000. Many of the worst-hit parts of town were now void of homes and businesses, but there was still damage and extensive clean-up was required. Flooding came again in September 2004, resulting in two fatalities. Additional protection (dikes) were added along
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#1733084921465888-739: A retail gallery. It is operated by the Austin Area Commission for the Arts, which also sponsors the Austin ArtWorks Festival, an annual celebration of visual, performing, and literary arts. The center is in the First National Bank Building, which opened in 1896. Architecture Austin has several historically and architecturally significant buildings, including Austin High School, St. Augustine's Church , Roosevelt Bridge,
962-689: A team that first participated in the Midwest Junior Hockey League from 1974 to 1977 and following a league merger competed in the United States Hockey League from 1977 to 1985. Austin is home to two amateur baseball clubs, the Austin Blue Sox and Austin Greyhounds. The Riverland Community College Blue Devils field six intercollegiate athletic teams. Several other teams, clubs, and activities are prominent in Austin, including
1036-440: A trapper who built the first log cabin in 1853. At that time there were "about twenty families in the area." More settlers began to arrive by wagon train in 1855, and by 1856 enough people were present to organize Mower County. In 1856 the settlement adopted the name "Austin", in honor of its first settler. That year the first hotel opened to travelers and the first physician, Dr. Ormanzo Allen, moved to town. The first newspaper,
1110-468: A two-for-one stock split. In 2013, Hormel Foods purchased Skippy —the best-selling brand of peanut butter in China and the second-best-selling brand in the world—from Unilever for $ 700 million; the sale included Skippy's American and Chinese factories. In May 2015, Hormel revealed it would acquire meat processing firm Applegate Farms for around $ 775 million, expanding its range of meat products. In 2015,
1184-510: A wage freeze and dangerous working conditions, leading to many cases of repetitive strain injury . When management demanded a 23% wage cut from the workers they decided to begin the strike. It became one of the longest strikes of the 1980s. The local chapter of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union , Local P-9, led the strike, but was not supported by their parent union. A commemorative mural painted by Mike Alewitz and P-9 workers during
1258-413: A year ahead of schedule. Also in September 2019, the company launched a vegetarian meat alternative called Happy Little Plants for foodservice and retail customers. On September 18, 2020, Hormel Foods hosted the world's largest virtual pizza party , when more than 3,000 people joined a Zoom-hosted pizza party. In order to break the record, at least 500 photos of individuals needed to be uploaded during
1332-490: Is a city in and the county seat of Mower County , Minnesota , United States. The population was 26,174 at the 2020 census . The town was originally settled along the Cedar River and has two artificial lakes, East Side Lake and Mill Pond. It was named for Austin R. Nichols, the area's first European settler. Hormel Foods Corporation is Austin's largest employer, and the city is sometimes called "SPAM Town USA". Austin
1406-478: Is an American multinational food processing company founded in 1891 in Austin , Minnesota , by George A. Hormel as George A. Hormel & Company. The company originally focused on the packaging and selling of ham, sausage and other pork, chicken, beef and lamb products to consumers, adding Spam in 1937. By the 1980s, Hormel began offering a wider range of packaged and refrigerated foods. The company changed its name to Hormel Foods Corporation in 1993 and uses
1480-507: Is approximately 1,200 ft (370 m). The Cedar River , a tributary of the Iowa River , flows southward through the east side of the city. Tributaries within the city include Turtle Creek from the west and Dobbins Creek from the east. Austin has a humid continental climate typical of the Upper Midwest . Winters are cold and snowy; summers are warm with moderate to high humidity. On
1554-732: Is home to Hormel's corporate headquarters, a factory that makes most of North America's SPAM tinned meat, and the Spam Museum . Austin is also home to the Hormel Institute , a leading cancer research institution operated by the University of Minnesota with significant support from the Mayo Clinic . Fertile land, trapping , and ease of access brought first trappers and then the early pioneers to this region. The rich gameland attracted Austin Nichols,
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#17330849214651628-747: Is in progress, as is a tourism and visitor center. One goal is to make the downtown business district more of a destination, aided in part by the Spam Museum's relocation to Main Street in 2016. In 2015 the National Association of Realtors named Austin one of the "Top 10 Affordable Small Towns Where You'd Actually Want to Live." Austin has a long history of flooding. The Cedar River, along with Dobbins Creek and Turtle Creek , flow through Austin, and many homes and businesses were constructed in floodplains . A series of floods between 1978 and 2010 resulted in
1702-647: The Cancer Nutrition Consortium offered the nutritional framework." In 2015, SPAMMY became available for purchase under Title I for U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) feeding programs and Title II for U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) programs under the name fortified poultry-based spread (FPBS). Four years earlier, the company had made an initial three-year commitment to deliver 1 million cans of this product to in-need families in Guatemala. Also in 2015, after an undercover investigation by
1776-567: The Great Recession , including the demise of the Oak Park Mall. As of 2017 the business climate had improved, including a major redevelopment of the former mall site. Downtown remains vibrant as well, including construction of a new SPAM Museum in 2016. According to Austin's Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (2022), the top employers in the city are: Music Austin is home to several long-standing performing arts organizations, including
1850-656: The Iowa border. The city is bordered to the south by Austin Township , to the east by Windom and Red Rock townships, and to the north by Lansing Township and the city of Mapleview . Austin is bordered to the west by Oakland Township in Freeborn County . According to the U.S. Census Bureau , Austin has a total area of 13.39 square miles (34.68 km ), of which 13.29 square miles (34.42 km ) are land and 0.11 square miles (0.28 km ), or 0.79%, are water. Its elevation
1924-522: The Köppen climate classification , Austin falls in the humid continental climate zone ( Dfa ) and is in USDA plant hardiness zone 4b. Below is a table of average high and low temperatures in Austin. As of the census of 2020 there were 26,174 people, 10,980 households, and 10,181 families residing in the city. As of the census of 2010 there were 24,718 people, 10,131 households, and 6,114 families residing in
1998-514: The Mower County Mirror , was started in 1858. Mills, powered by the Cedar River, were the first industries in Austin. They provided much-needed flour and lumber. Growth was slow during the first two decades, but the Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul Railroad arrived in the late 1860s, hastening economic development. The town's first schoolhouse was constructed in 1865, and the first bank opened
2072-768: The Southern Minnesota Normal College and Austin School of Commerce. It closed in 1925, and the city was without an institution of higher education until Austin Junior College opened in 1940. In 1964 it became part of the State College and University System and is now Riverland Community College . In 1913 the Minnesota Legislature made a 50-acre (20 ha) parcel of land into Horace Austin State Park. At
2146-702: The Subsistence Homesteads Division of the Department of the Interior . The Austin Parks Board was formed in the 1940s to oversee the growing number of green spaces within the city. In 1971 the Jay C. Hormel Nature Center , a 500-acre (200 ha) nature preserve also including the 60-acre (24 ha) Hormel Arboretum, was purchased from Geordie Hormel with a state grant. In 1973 the city opened Riverside Arena ,
2220-516: The "100 best corporate citizens" for 10 consecutive years. In 2008 an article in the New York Times , "SPAM Turns Serious and Hormel Turns Out More", detailed an overwhelming spike in the demand for SPAM, perhaps due to the flagging economy. In 2009 Hormel and Herdez del Fuerte created the joint venture MegaMex Foods to market and distribute Mexican food in the United States. Brands included in
2294-612: The "Joint Savings Plan" which allowed employees to share in the profits of the company. In 1933, workers, led by itinerant butcher Frank Ellis, formed the Independent Union of All Workers and conducted one of the nation's first successful sit-down strikes ; the union would later join the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO, later AFL-CIO). By 1942, George and Jay established the Hormel Foundation to act as trustees of
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2368-499: The "assembly" of mock cans of Spam. Many of the exhibits include games, interactive videos, and hands-on activities. The Spam Shop offers hundreds of Spam-branded items and gifts. Volunteer guides – known as Spambassadors – offer visitors small bits of Spam on a toothpick or pretzel stick, commonly known as Spamples. The Spam Museum is a featured stop in the Dan Gutman book series Genius Files. Austin, Minnesota Austin
2442-525: The 63rd Annual Academy Awards . Dave Pirner of the Minneapolis band Soul Asylum wrote a song about the strike, "P-9". It is on the band's 1989 album Clam Dip & Other Delights . Hormel never gave in to the workers' demands, and when the strike ended in June 1986, 700 employees were left without work. Austin completed a new $ 28 million courthouse and jail in 2010, a new intermediate school in 2013, and has
2516-523: The Army Corps of Engineers, but it was decided that major flood prevention measures would not be cost-effective. A Community Development Block Grant was won from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, allowing for the buyout of homes lying in the flood plain. City planners also vowed to no longer build new structures in the existing flood plains. In 1983 and 1993 major floods again damaged many Austin homes and businesses. Over 400 homes were affected and
2590-580: The Austin Symphony Orchestra, which was established in 1957. The Austin Artist Series, one of the Midwest's largest and longest-running concert and performance series, was established in 1945. The Historic Paramount Theatre hosts a variety of local and regional performances, and Austin High School 's music programs have been recognized for decades as among the state's best. Austin is also home to
2664-414: The Cedar River as a result. The most recent round of serious flooding came in 2010, after which a plan was developed for a permanent flood wall to protect downtown from the floodwaters of the Cedar River and Mill Pond. The wall was completed in 2014. On Monday, August 20, 1928, an F-2 sized tornado touched down on Winona Street (1st Avenue). The damage ran from the southern edge of Austin High School to
2738-693: The Farmer John and Saag's brands, to Smithfield Foods . In October 2017, Hormel announced it would acquire deli meat company Columbus Manufacturing for $ 850 million. In 2017, Mercy For Animals released undercover video footage of pigs being abused at The Maschhoffs LLC., a Hormel pork supplier in Hinton, Oklahoma , with piglets being castrated and having their tails cut off without any anesthetic, piglets left to suffer from untreated illness or injuries, and mother pigs crammed into gestation crates unable to move. In response, Hormel temporarily suspended its buying from
2812-725: The Historic Paramount Theatre, the Hormel Historic Home , the Arthur W. Wright House, and several blocks of buildings on Main Street. The S. P. Elam Residence (1950) was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright , and is the second largest example of his Usonian style of architecture. Literature Austin is the setting of Allen Eskens' novel The Life We Bury, published in 2014 by Seventh Street Books in New York. The Austin Bruins are
2886-496: The Hormel Health Labs division of Hormel Foods launched its Hormel Vital Cuisine line of packaged ready to eat meals, nutrition shakes and whey protein powders geared towards cancer patients and made available for home delivery. The line was developed in concert with three parties, as "Hormel brought food formulation, packaging and shelf stability knowledge, ( chef de cuisine ) Ron DeSantis brought taste and texture expertise, and
2960-492: The Hormel brand on many of its products; the company's other brands include Planters , Columbus Craft Meats , Dinty Moore, Jennie-O , and Skippy . The company's products are available in over 80 countries worldwide. The company was founded as George A. Hormel & Company in Austin, Minnesota, by George A. Hormel in 1891. It changed its name to Hormel Foods in 1993. George A. Hormel (born 1860 in Buffalo, New York ) worked in
3034-772: The Milwaukee Road railyards on the city's east side. St. Olaf Lutheran Church, Carnegie Library, Main Street, the spire on Austin's former courthouse, Grand Theatre (replaced in 1929 by the Paramount Theatre), Austin Utilities, Lincoln School, and several boxcars at the Milwaukee railyards were damaged or destroyed. Austin residents noticed debris raining out of the sky, such as straw and laundry. Another F-2 touched down in August 1961, at 808 18th Street SW. It quickly gained strength once on
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3108-472: The PETA video, called the videotaped abuses "completely unacceptable." In their 2007 Corporate Responsibility Report, Hormel Foods stated that all suppliers are expected to comply with several welfare programs to ensure that the hogs purchased are treated humanely. Because of the investigation, several employees of the farm were fired and six individuals faced charges due to the abuse. In 2011, Hormel Foods announced
3182-979: The Southern Minnesota Bicycling Club, the Austin Curling Club, the Minnesota Southbound Rollers (female roller derby), and the Southeast Minnesota Warhawks of the Southern Plains Football League. The Riverside Arena is a 2,500-seat multipurpose arena which opened in 1973. It is home to the Austin High School Packers boys' and girls' ice hockey teams as well as the Austin Bruins. Hormel Foods Hormel Foods Corporation , doing business as Hormel Foods or simply Hormel ,
3256-439: The Top Shelf line of microwavable non-frozen products. The company added to their poultry offerings by purchasing Chicken by George, created by former Miss America Phyllis George , in 1988. That same year, Hormel Foods also introduced microwave bacon. In 1984, Hormel introduced the Frank 'n Stuff brand of stuffed hot dogs . In August 1985, Hormel workers went on strike at the Hormel headquarters in Austin, Minnesota . In
3330-426: The United States. Initial brands included Chi-Chi's , La Victoria , Búfalo , Doña María, and Herdez. Don Miguel Foods Corporation was acquired by MegaMex in 2010. Don Miguel manufactured fresh and frozen prepared foods, such as mini tacos, flautas, taquitos, empanadas, burritos and roller grill items. In 2011, MegaMex acquired Texas-based Fresherized Foods, one of the largest provider of refrigerated guacamole in
3404-418: The city was 92.6% White , 0.81% African American , 0.18% Native American , 2.22% Asian , 0.02% Pacific Islander , 3.09% from other races , and 1.09% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race was 6.12% of the population. There were 9,897 households, out of which 27.2% had children under the age of 18. The average household size was 2.29; the average family size was 2.90. The median income for
3478-586: The city's economy. Hormel and Quality Pork Processors, a contract food processing firm serving Hormel, are by far the city's largest private employers. Though most famous for SPAM, Hormel also produces many other brands, such as Jennie-O turkey, Muscle Milk, Skippy peanut butter, and Dinty Moore beef stew. The government, education, hospitality, and retail sectors comprise much of the remainder of Austin's employment base. Hormel's consistent and steady growth have resulted in below-average unemployment rates for Austin and Mower County in recent years. As of February 2016
3552-828: The city's first indoor ice arena, now home to a variety of ice activities including the Austin Bruins junior hockey team. In August 1985, 1,500 Hormel meatpackers went on strike at the Austin plant after management demanded a 23% cut in wages. In the early 1980s, recession had impacted several meatpacking companies, decreasing demand and increasing competition which led smaller and less-efficient companies to go out of business. In an effort to keep plants from closing, many instituted wage cuts. Wilson Food Company declared bankruptcy in 1983, allowing them to cut wages from $ 10.69 to $ 6.50 and significantly reduce benefits. Hormel Foods had avoided such drastic action, but by 1985, pressure to stay competitive remained. A protracted battle between union employees and Hormel continued until June 1986, one of
3626-423: The city. The population density was 2,096.5 inhabitants per square mile (809.5/km ). There were 10,870 housing units at an average density of 922.0 per square mile (356.0/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 86.8% White , 3.0% African American , 0.3% Native American , 2.4% Asian , 0.2% Pacific Islander , 4.8% from other races , and 2.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 15.4% of
3700-458: The closure of three meat processing plants, including its Alma Foods plant in Alma, Kansas . That plant employs about 100 workers and at least one worker tested positive for the coronavirus. Hormel also closed its Don Miguel Foods factory in Dallas, Texas , which is a joint venture with a Mexico City company, Herdez Del Fuerte. The plant made pork, beef and chicken burritos and tacos , and employed about 700 workers. On April 24, Hormel announced
3774-472: The closure of two plants in Willmar, Minnesota , after 14 workers tested positive for coronavirus. These Jennie-O turkey plants employed over 1,200 workers. In October 2020, Hormel launched a bacon scented protective mask giveaway charity promotion. In 2009, California-based MegaMex Foods was created as a joint venture by US-based Hormel and Mexico-based Herdez del Fuerte to manufacture, market and distribute Mexican-style sauces and related other foods in
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#17330849214653848-563: The company was named as one of the Human Rights Campaign 's Best Places to Work for LGBT equality. In 2019, Hormel was again named to one of the best places to work for LGBT equality, as the company obtained a 95 out of 100 score in the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index . The almost-perfect score was due to the area of "equivalency in same and different-sex domestic partner medical and soft benefits", where Hormel received half-credit for providing parity in some, but not all, benefits. In 2017, Hormel sold Clougherty Packing, owner of
3922-409: The company's 100 year anniversary. Originally located in Austin's Oak Park Mall, Hormel later re-branded it as the Spam Museum. A much-larger Spam-focused museum opened in September 2001. The 16,500-square foot space included a theater, historical displays, family activities and games, and a gift shop. The lobby of the museum featured a wall of Spam with more than 3,300 Spam cans and, for many years,
3996-517: The early 1980s, recession impacted several meatpacking companies, decreasing demand and increasing competition which led smaller and less-efficient companies to go out of business. In an effort to keep plants from closing, many instituted wage cuts. Wilson Food Company declared bankruptcy in 1983, allowing them to cut wages from $ 10.69 to $ 6.50 and significantly reduce benefits. Hormel Foods had avoided such drastic action, but by 1985, pressure to stay competitive remained. Workers had already labored under
4070-459: The family trusts. The Foundation funded the Hormel Institute at the University of Minnesota , initially started with a study of the food value of soybeans. The institute's scope later grew towards studying nutrition, animal diseases and food technology. Hormel's production increased to aid in World War II and 65% of its products were purchased by the U.S. government by 1945. founder George Hormel died in March 1946 at age 85. In 1959, Hormel
4144-430: The following year. In 1891 George A. Hormel opened a small family-owned butcher shop in Austin, which eventually grew into today's Fortune 500 company, Hormel Foods . By 1896 area doctors, with the help of local Lutheran congregations, formed the Austin Hospital Association, later becoming St. Olaf Hospital, and (since 1995) part of Mayo Clinic Health System . In 1897 Charles Boostrom opened Austin's first college,
4218-811: The ground, becoming an F-3 at 17th Street SW, where it destroyed a garage. The twister lifted briefly, touching down in the city fairgrounds and hitting the grandstand roof, tearing off parts and damaging beams. In the summer of 1984, a tornado destroyed Echo Lanes Bowling Alley as it swept through southeast Austin. Neighboring Bo-Dee Campers also suffered considerable damage, and Schmidt TV was destroyed. A tornado or straight-line winds took down massive amounts of branches and trees on Saturday, June 27, 1998, uprooting smaller trees and knocking large branches across streets. Several side streets in northwest Austin became impassable, including 8th Avenue NW (near Sumner Elementary School) and 14th Street NW (between I-90 and 8th Avenue). The event caused disruption in Sunday church services
4292-417: The longest labor struggles of the 1980s. In January 1986 some workers crossed the picket lines, leading to riots; the conflict escalated to such a point that Governor Rudy Perpich called in the National Guard to keep the peace. The strike received national attention and a documentary, American Dream , was filmed during the 10-month conflict. The movie was released in 1990 and won Best Documentary Feature at
4366-400: The mantra “Originate, don't imitate". In 1926, the company introduced Hormel Flavor-Sealed Ham, America's first canned ham, and added a canned chicken product line in 1928. Throughout the 1930s, Hormel ads were featured on the radio program The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show . Hormel Chili and Spam were introduced in 1936 and 1937 respectively. In 1938, Jay C. Hormel introduced
4440-475: The museum"; the World Market, where visitors can learn about the advertising and use of Spam and Spam recipes from 44 different nations; a World War II-themed exhibit explaining the importance of Spam as a staple for American troops; "Spam Products Around the World", an interactive map; the "Can Chronicles" showing the evolution of the Spam can; and Spam Brand 101, an interactive exhibit where visitors learn about 15 varieties of Spam and families are able to compete in
4514-628: The names of Cedar Cervelat, Holsteiner and Noxall Salami. Hormel products began appearing in national magazines, such as Good Housekeeping , as early as 1916. In 1921, when George's son Jay Hormel returned from service in the World War I , he uncovered that assistant controller Cy Thomson had embezzled $ 1,187,000 from the company over the previous ten years. The scandal provided George Hormel with additional incentive to professionalize his company. He did so by arranging for more reliable capital management, by dismissing unproductive employees, and by continuing to develop new products, reportedly with
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#17330849214654588-407: The next morning, and many congregations organized cleanup activities instead of regularly scheduled events. A tornado touched down in Glenville on May 1, 2001, gaining strength before it turned into a F-3 headed for Austin. The twister dissipated shortly after hitting town, but did notable damage in both cities. On Wednesday, June 17, 2009, an EF2 tornado touched down outside Austin and moved across
4662-529: The northwest and northern parts of the city, gradually weakening as it moved east. The worst damage in Austin was about 3 miles (5 km) north of downtown. The visitors center at the Jay C. Hormel Nature Center sustained damage, losing 300 trees. There were a few minor injuries. Austin is in western Mower County in southeastern Minnesota. It is 20 miles (32 km) east of Albert Lea , 41 miles (66 km) southwest of Rochester , 100 miles (160 km) south of Minneapolis , and 12 miles (19 km) north of
4736-406: The one-hour event. The final tally was 907 photos. In February 2021, Kraft Heinz announced it would be selling its Planters and its other nuts businesses to Hormel for $ 3.35 billion. On April 18, 2020, local health officials shut down a Hormel Foods plant in Rochelle, Illinois , that employed 800 people after at least 24 workers tested positive for coronavirus. On April 21, Hormel announced
4810-443: The population. There were 10,131 households, of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.9% were married couples living together, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 39.7% were non-families. 33.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size
4884-580: The strike was destroyed by the UFCW months after the strike ended. The strike gained national attention and led to a widely publicized consumer boycott of Hormel products. The strike ended in June 1986, after lasting 10 months. The Spam Museum in Austin, Minnesota, was opened in 2001. That same year, Hormel Foods acquired The Turkey Store, the business was combined with Jennie-O Foods to form Jennie-O Turkey Store. According to Triple Pundit, Hormel Foods began CSR reporting in 2006. The company has been included in Corporate Responsibility magazine's list of
4958-414: The supplier. According to the Military Times, the company has been listed in the top 100 Best for Vets Employers category consistently since 2013. In April 2019, together with Harvard University Dining Services, the company hosted the Small Change Big Impact Food Summit at Harvard University. In September 2019, Hormel Foods announced that they had achieved their non-renewable energy use reduction goal
5032-404: The theatre showed a short film entitled "SPAM: A Love Story." The Spam Museum temporarily closed in September 2014 to move to a new, more accessible downtown location. The museum re-opened on 22 April 2016 at its new location at 101 3rd Ave NE. The location in downtown Austin is approximately 14,000 square feet in size and comprises seven main galleries. These include Can Central, "the heart of
5106-417: The time, the land was "one of the beauty spots of Southern Minnesota, but of late years has not been cared for and in places the banks have been disfigured by dumping along the shore of the stream," according to the bill's author, Senator Charles F. Cook. The park was converted to a state "scenic wayside" in 1937, then transferred to city ownership in 1949. In the 1930s Austin Acres was built with funding from
5180-461: The unemployment rate was 3.7% in Austin and Mower County, below both the state and national average. Austin-area businesses and community actively supported an application to participate as a test community in the Google Fiber project, begun in 2010. Though unsuccessful in their bid, the adoption of high-speed fiber optic and wireless internet throughout Austin is one of the Vision 2020 committee's goals. Austin's retail business struggled during
5254-524: The venture include Herdez, La Victoria, Chi Chi's , El Torito , Embasa, Wholly Guacamole, Del Fuerte, Dona Maria, Bufalo, and Don Miguel. In September 2008, animal rights organization PETA released a video recorded over the course of three months showing workers at a pig factory farm in Iowa abusing pigs. The factory farm was owned by Natural Pork Production II LLP of Iowa until August 18, 2008, at which point ownership had transferred to MowMar LLP. Hormel spokeswoman Julie Henderson Craven, who responded to
5328-489: The video, pigs covered in feces or pus-filled abscesses are sent down the plant’s conveyor belt. At one point, a knife is used to cut open abscesses on dead pigs." In 2016, Peak Rock Capital purchased the Diamond Crystal Brands Inc. unit, purchased by Hormel in 2002 for $ 155 million from Imperial Sugar . Also in 2016, Hormel acquired the nut butter producer Justin's for 280 million. In 2016, 2017, and 2018,
5402-429: Was 2.39 and the average family size was 3.05. The median age in the city was 37. 25.6% of residents were under 18; 8.8% were between 18 and 24; 24.3% were from 25 to 44; 23.5% were from 45 to 64; and 17.7% were 65 or older. The city was 49.2% male and 50.8% female. As of the census of 2000, there were 23,314 people, 9,897 households, and 6,076 families residing in the city and 10,261 housing units. The racial makeup of
5476-717: Was the first meatpacker to receive the Seal of Approval of the American Humane Society for its practice of anesthetizing animals before slaughter. Little Sizzlers sausages were introduced in 1961 and Cure 81 hams were introduced in 1963. Unfortunately Little Sizzler's sausage has been discontinued per 10/10/19 email from Hormel's Customer Service. Not-So-Sloppy-Joe Sloppy Joe sauce made its debut in 1985. In 1986, Hormel Foods acquired Jennie-O Foods and also began an exclusive licensing arrangement to produce Chi-Chi's brand products. The following year, Hormel Foods introduced
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