It’s not surprising that Steve Binder was caught off guard when his name was announced as the first Pride of the Jersey recipient at the corporate headquarters of Hormel Foods. President and CEO Jim Snee describes him as someone who “never asks for accolades.”
“I like to think about how many great people have dedicated their entire career to Hormel Foods, in many cases joining the company right out of high school or college. And today, I have the privilege of choosing the first recipient the way you would choose a captain of a team,” he said during the jersey ceremony.
Hormel Foods CEO Jim Snee and Steve Binder
It wasn’t the first time Steve laid eyes on the shirt that’s being passed around each Hormel Foods location. He happened to walk by Snee’s office when Vice President of Corporate Communications Wendy Watkins was showing him the jersey. On the day of the town-hall meeting, Steve grabbed a seat in the back of the room.
“I had seen the presentation the evening before at the annual shareholders meeting. After the fact, I learned Wendy and team were keeping an eye on me to make sure I was there,” he says.
Steve didn’t hesitate to put the jersey on and wear it the rest of the day. He admits he was proud, but also reluctant to get it dirty. And there was the responsibility of choosing who would wear it next.
“It was a little bit of a burden because there are so many qualified people,” he says.
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