Earl B. Olson
Encyclopedia
Earl B. Olson was a businessman who founded the Jennie-O
Turkey company (now part of Hormel
).
Earl B. Olson was born on a farm north of Murdock, MN, the son of Olof and Anna (Anderson) Olson. Both his father and mother were immigrants from Sweden
. After eight grades of school in Murdock, Olson enrolled in the West Central School of Agriculture, Morris, MN, graduating in 1932.
Olson first ran a small creamery creamery in Swift Falls, Minnesota, which processed turkeys on the side. In 1940, Earl Olson began raising turkeys. In 1949 he bought the former Farmers Produce Company of Willmar and its turkey processing plant. By 1953, Mr. Olson converted Farmer's Produce to a USDA-inspected eviscerated turkey plant and developed the brand name Jennie-O®—after Earl and Dorothy Olson's daughter, Jennifer, and the 'O' in Olson. He served as President and Chief Executive Office until 1974 when he became Chairman of the Board. He was Chairman Emeritus at the time of his death.
He was a mainstay of the turkey
industry, and a pioneer in developing new turkey products and expanding the marketplace.
Jennie-O
Jennie-O is a brand name of turkey products. It is now a subsidiary of the Hormel Foods Corporation in Willmar, Minnesota.The company was founded by Earl B. Olson in 1940, when he began raising turkeys. In 1949, he bought the former Farmers Produce Company of Willmar and its turkey processing...
Turkey company (now part of Hormel
Hormel
Hormel Foods Corporation is a food company based in southeastern Minnesota , perhaps best known as the producer of Spam luncheon meat. The company was founded as George A. Hormel & Company in Austin, Minnesota, U.S., by George A. Hormel in 1891. The company changed its name to Hormel Foods...
).
Earl B. Olson was born on a farm north of Murdock, MN, the son of Olof and Anna (Anderson) Olson. Both his father and mother were immigrants from Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. After eight grades of school in Murdock, Olson enrolled in the West Central School of Agriculture, Morris, MN, graduating in 1932.
Olson first ran a small creamery creamery in Swift Falls, Minnesota, which processed turkeys on the side. In 1940, Earl Olson began raising turkeys. In 1949 he bought the former Farmers Produce Company of Willmar and its turkey processing plant. By 1953, Mr. Olson converted Farmer's Produce to a USDA-inspected eviscerated turkey plant and developed the brand name Jennie-O®—after Earl and Dorothy Olson's daughter, Jennifer, and the 'O' in Olson. He served as President and Chief Executive Office until 1974 when he became Chairman of the Board. He was Chairman Emeritus at the time of his death.
He was a mainstay of the turkey
Domesticated turkey
The domesticated turkey is a large poultry bird. The modern domesticated form descends from the wild turkey , one of the two species of turkey ; in the past the ocellated turkey was also domesticated.The turkey is raised throughout temperate parts of the world and is a popular form of poultry,...
industry, and a pioneer in developing new turkey products and expanding the marketplace.