Who Owns Skippy?
Skippy is owned by Hormel Foods Corporation (NYSE: HRL), a publicly traded American food company headquartered in Austin, Minnesota. Hormel acquired the brand from Unilever in January 2013 for approximately $700 million, including the US and international business and plants in Arkansas and China. Skippy is the second-largest peanut butter brand in the United States.
Skippy Timeline
Who Owns Skippy?
- Parent Company: Hormel Foods
- Ownership Type: Brand division
- Acquisition Year: 2013
- Company Type: Publicly Traded
- Stock Ticker: NYSE: HRL
| Brand | Parent Company | Ownership Type |
|---|---|---|
| Skippy | Hormel Foods | Brand division |
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History of Skippy
- Founded: 1932
- Founders: Joseph L. Rosefield
- Acquired by Hormel Foods: 2013
Joseph L. Rosefield created the Skippy brand in 1932 through his Rosefield Packing Company in Alameda, California. Rosefield had already changed the industry once by developing a hydrogenation process that kept peanut oil from separating, which eliminated the need to stir peanut butter. Skippy was the first national brand built on that no-stir formula.
The brand grew through distinctive marketing, including the long-running "If you're a Skippy, you know" and "It's hard to beat Skippy" campaigns. Rosefield sold the business to Best Foods in the 1950s, and ownership passed through a chain of consolidations: Best Foods became part of CPC International, later Corn Products Refining, and ultimately Unilever by the late 1990s.
Unilever treated Skippy as a non-core holding while focusing its food portfolio elsewhere. Hormel bought the brand in January 2013 for approximately $700 million, integrating it alongside its grocery products business. Under Hormel the line expanded into Skippy Natural, Skippy P.B. Bites, Skippy Squeeze pouches, and protein-fortified varieties, while the core Creamy and Super Chunk products remained the volume drivers.
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About Hormel Foods
Is Hormel Foods publicly traded?
Yes, Hormel Foods trades on the New York Stock Exchange under ticker HRL and is included in the S&P 500 Index and the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats. The company is widely held by institutional and individual investors.
Who is the CEO of Hormel Foods?
John Ghingo was named CEO effective October 26, 2026, succeeding interim CEO Jeff Ettinger. Ghingo previously served as president of Hormel Foods since July 2025. Jim Snee, who had been CEO since 2016, stepped down in 2025. Ettinger, a former Hormel CEO from 2005 to 2016, returned as interim CEO in July 2025.
Who founded Hormel Foods?
Hormel Foods was founded in 1891 by George A. Hormel in Austin, Minnesota. The company became publicly traded in 1928.
What is Hormel's annual revenue?
For fiscal year 2025 (ended October 26, 2025), Hormel reported net sales of $12.1 billion, up 2% year-over-year with organic growth of 2%. Adjusted operating income was $1.02 billion and adjusted diluted EPS was $1.37. For fiscal 2026, the company expects net sales of $12.2 to $12.5 billion.
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Does Hormel own SPAM?
Yes, SPAM is Hormel's most iconic product. The canned pork product was introduced in 1937 and remains popular globally, particularly in Hawaii, Guam, South Korea, and other Pacific regions. SPAM is one of the company's key growth drivers internationally.
What brands does Hormel own?
Hormel owns more than 40 brands including SPAM, Skippy peanut butter, Jennie-O turkey products, Planters nuts, Applegate natural and organic meats, Columbus Craft Meats, Wholly guacamole, Fontanini Italian meats, Hormel Black Label bacon, Dinty Moore stew, and Hormel Chili. The Justin's brand was placed into a joint venture in 2025.
Does Hormel pay dividends?
Yes, Hormel has increased its dividend for 60 consecutive years, making it a member of the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats. The annualized dividend rate is $1.17 per share. In FY2025, the company returned a record $633 million to shareholders in dividends.
- Founded: 1891
- Headquarters: Austin, Minnesota, USA
- Company Type: Publicly Traded
- Stock: NYSE: HRL
- Revenue: $12.1 billion (FY2025, ended October 26, 2025)
- Employees: Approximately 20,000
Where Is Skippy Made / Based?
- Headquarters: Austin, Minnesota, USA
- Manufacturing / Operations: United States, China
Skippy Categories & Tags
Skippy Sustainability & Ethics
Skippy's sustainability profile follows its parent's. Hormel Foods publishes annual corporate responsibility reporting covering sustainable sourcing, packaging, and emissions, and it maintains supplier standards for its peanut supply chain.
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The brand holds no independent third-party sustainability certification such as organic or Fair Trade on its core line, though select Skippy Natural products carry simpler ingredient panels. Peanut butter's plant-based protein profile gives it a comparatively low footprint among protein sources, though the brand does not market that as a certified claim.
Skippy Recalls & Controversies
The most notable recent recall event came in March 2022, when Hormel recalled about 9,000 cases of Skippy Reduced Fat peanut butter after discovering a possible metal fragment in the manufacturing line. The recall covered several states and was resolved without reported injuries.
Earlier, under Unilever ownership, the brand was involved in a 2007 salmonella-linked recall of Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter made at a shared ConAgra plant; Skippy itself was not implicated. The brand has otherwise maintained a comparatively clean safety record.
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Brands Owned by Hormel Foods
Food BeverageApplegate
Owned by Hormel Foods
Natural and organic deli meat brand founded in 1987, a pioneer of antibiotic-free and humanely raised meat, owned by Hormel Foods since 2015.
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Mexican food brand owned by Hormel Foods (grocery products) with a revived restaurant chain led by founder's son Michael McDermott, opening its first location in October 2025 in Minnesota.
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Food BeverageColumbus Craft Meats
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Premium salami and deli meat brand founded in San Francisco in 1917, owned by Hormel Foods since its approximately $850 million acquisition in 2017.
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Food BeverageDinty Moore
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Canned beef stew brand introduced by Hormel Foods in 1935, a pantry staple that remains the leading canned stew in the United States nine decades later.
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Food BeverageHerdez
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Mexico's leading salsa and Mexican food brand, marketed in the United States through MegaMex Foods, the joint venture between Hormel Foods and Herdez del Fuerte.
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Food BeverageHormel
Owned by Hormel Foods
Master grocery brand of Hormel Foods covering chili, pepperoni, bacon, Compleats meals, and Natural Choice, rooted in the company's 1891 founding in Austin, Minnesota.
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Skippy Ownership: Pros & Cons
Advantages
- +Number two position in a concentrated, stable grocery category
- +Distribution scale through Hormel's national retail relationships
- +Parent with deep shelf-stable food manufacturing expertise
- +Format innovation in snacking and protein segments
- +Strong brand recognition built over nine decades
Considerations
- -Trails Jif on share and has limited room for price premium
- -Peanut allergy prevalence suppresses some household demand
- -Category is mature, with growth dependent on line extensions
- -Input costs tied to peanut crop cycles
- -No independent organic certification on the core line
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Frequently Asked Questions About Skippy
Sources & Further Reading
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Competitors to Skippy
These competing brands operate in the same categories and provide similar products or services. Compare key attributes to understand market positioning and competitive landscape.
| Brand | Parent Company | Country | Founded | Market Position | Primary Market | Gender Target |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Post Holdings | USA | 1928 | Mass market | United states | All Genders | |
| Hormel Foods | USA | 1906 | Mass market | United states | All Genders |
Learn More About Competitors
Food BeveragePeter Pan
Owned by Post Holdings, Inc.
Peter Pan is Post Holdings' peanut butter brand, sold since 1928 and acquired from Conagra in 2021, making it one of the top-selling peanut butter brands in the United States.
peanut-butterspreadsgrocery
Food BeveragePlanters
Owned by Hormel Foods
Leading US snack nut brand founded in 1906, home of the Mr. Peanut mascot, owned by Hormel Foods since its $3.35 billion acquisition from Kraft Heinz in 2021.
nutssnackspeanuts
Competitive Analysis
Market Positioning: Skippy competes with 2 brands in the same categories, ranging from mass market to luxury positioning.
Geographic Distribution: Competitors are headquartered across multiple regions, indicating global competition in this market segment.
Brand Heritage: Competitor brands range from established heritage brands to newer market entrants, with founding years spanning several decades.
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Food BeverageBarilla
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Barilla is privately owned, unlike Skippy which is under a publicly traded parent company.
Food BeverageCelebrations
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Celebrations is privately owned, unlike Skippy which is under a publicly traded parent company.
Food BeverageCrown Prince
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Crown Prince is privately owned, unlike Skippy which is under a publicly traded parent company.
Hormel Foods Stock Information
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