March 8, 2007/Business Wire -- Hormel Foods Corporation (NYSE:HRL) announced today the appointment of Dennis L. Boik to director of environmental sustainability, effective immediately.

This new position aligns with the direction Jeffrey M. Ettinger, chairman of the board, president and chief executive officer at Hormel Foods has defined for the corporation. Boik will be responsible for directing Hormel Foods sustainability effort by defining expectations and initiating projects relating to environmental sustainability.

"Sustainability and corporate social responsibility have always been a priority with Hormel Foods," said William F. Snyder, senior vice president, Hormel Foods. "Our 2006 Citizenship Overview provided a base for measuring our sustainability efforts. As director of environmental sustainability, Dennis will be an integral part of the expansion of our efforts in the areas of energy use, water conservation, environmental compliance, recycling, supply chain management and transportation."

Boik moves to this position after serving as corporate manager of mechanical, electrical and environmental engineering. In this position, he was instrumental in the formation and implementation of the Environmental Management System-a formal database program containing audits, permits and information about regulations for air, water, wastewater and hazardous substances, among other things. He also enhanced Hormel Foods' company-wide recycling and energy management programs, which have been active for decades.

Boik started with Hormel Foods in 1971 as a plant engineer in the mechanical division in the Austin, Minn., plant. He moved to the corporate engineering department as a mechanical engineer and was promoted to foreman of the engine room at the Austin plant in 1973. Boik also worked at AFECO, formerly owned by Hormel Foods and now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cozzini, Inc., in Algona, Iowa, from 1974 to 1984 as manager and chief engineer, vice president of operations, and president and general manager.

He became manager of mechanical engineering at Hormel Foods' corporate headquarters in 1984 and moved to chief plant engineer at the Austin plant in 1986. Boik was moved to a special assignment for the corporate engineering department in 1989 and became Hormel Foods manager of environmental affairs in 1992. He was promoted to corporate manager of mechanical, electrical and environmental engineering in 2001.
From the March 13, 2007, Prepared Foods e-Flash