The Founding Fathers of the Jennie-O Turkey Store

In 2001, two of the turkey industry’s leading companies, Jennie-O Foods, Inc. and The Turkey Store Company led by Earl B. Olson and Wallace Jerome  respectively, merged to create the Jennie-O Turkey Store, Inc.

Earl B. Olson, Founder of Jennie-O Foods

A Turkey Prodigy

In 1940, Earl B. Olson, founder of Jennie-O Foods, was managing a small creamery and raising turkeys on the side. In 1949, he purchased his first turkey processing plant, Farmer's Produce Company, in Willmar, Minnesota. That fall, the company processed 1.5 million pounds of New York-dressed turkeys. A year later, Olson decided to phase out his other poultry and dairy products, to focus solely on turkey.

A Brand Begins

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.

The company then purchased a Melrose, Minnesota plant and worked to get Jennie-O® turkeys exported to Europe. Earl and Dorothy's son, Charles, joined the sales staff in 1963 and became president in 1974.

By 1971, Mr. Olson changed the name of his company to Jennie-O Foods. To accommodate their expanding processing capabilities, the Willmar Avenue plant and the corporate office were built in 1973.

An Industry Leader

In 1984, Jennie-O Foods was one of the first in the industry to develop a turkey hot dog. The special seasonings that give Jennie-O® turkey hot dogs their great taste are a trade secret—and the 100-foot continuous oven that cooks them was custom-built.

In 1986, Jennie-O Foods became part of Hormel Foods Corporation, a multinational manufacturer and marketer of consumer-branded meat and food products, many of which are among the best known and trusted in the food industry.

Mr. Olson passed away on December 11, 2006. He is considered an icon in the turkey business, his tireless efforts and forward thinking helped propel Jennie-O Turkey Store—and the turkey industry to what it is today.

Wallace Jerome, Founder of The Turkey Store Company

An Early Bird

In 1922, at the age of 13, Wallace Jerome began raising turkeys. He would go on to found The Turkey Store Company, one of the preeminent turkey processing and marketing operations in the industry.

Innovative Operations

By the early 1940's, the turkeys from Mr. Jerome’s hatchery were supplying the processing plant he operated in a three-story barn on the family farm. This plant carried out all stages of turkey production and implemented New York-dressed processing.

A decade later, Mr. Jerome purchased the J.B. Inderreiden Canning Company in Barron, Wisconsin. He equipped the plant with ovens for processing and named the company Badger Turkey Industries. This facility became the first federally inspected, cooked turkey processing plant in Wisconsin. In 1964, the company's name was changed to Jerome Foods.

In 1974, Wallace's son, Jerry Jerome, joined the company as executive vice president. Wallace Jerome served as president and chairman of the board from the company's inception until 1980 when Jerry Jerome was named president. The Barron processing plant continued to grow and expand its product line, processing approximately 23,000 turkeys per day during the peak-processing season from May through December.

The Turkey Store Company Brand is Born

In 2001, The Turkey Store Company became part of Hormel Foods Corporation, a multinational manufacturer and marketer of consumer-branded meat and food products, many of which are among the best known and trusted in the food industry.

Mr. Jerome passed away on June 21, 2006. He is remembered as a visionary who made countless contributions to the innovation of the turkey industry.