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Triumph CEO announces retirement [St. Joseph News-Press (MO)]
[June 14, 2014]

Triumph CEO announces retirement [St. Joseph News-Press (MO)]


(St. Joseph News-Press (MO) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Rick Hoffman, the only chief executive officer Triumph Foods has ever known, will retire from his position at the end of the month.

Triumph officials made the announcement in a statement released Thursday morning. Mr. Hoffman provided no information in the statement.

"Mr. Hoffman has led the company from its formation, directing the development of its state-of-the-art pork production facility in St. Joseph," Triumph said.

Patt Lilly, president and chief executive officer of the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce, was Triumph's chief administrative officer from 2006 to 2013 and worked with Mr. Hoffman. He also was involved during his first leadership stint with the chamber in helping bring Triumph to the city.



"I think Rick made an enormous impact on St. Joseph," he said. "He has the ability to implement a project" such as the construction of a pork-processing plant, he added. "That takes a lot of talent." Mark Campbell, who is currently Triumph's chief operating officer, will succeed Mr. Hoffman as part of the company's leadership transition plan. He began his career with Triumph in 2004.

"I think the company is in good hands," Mr. Lilly said.


Christensen Family Farms, Triumph's largest shareholder, issued the following statement: "On behalf of the Christensen Family and Triumph Food's producer- owners, we want to express our sincere appreciation to Rick Hoffman for his vision, leadership and ongoing commitment to the success of Triumph Foods. We view Rick's leadership as instrumental in building and leading one of the highest-performing pork-processing plants in the country." Christensen is based in Minnesota and is one of the nation's largest family-owned swine producers, with operations throughout the Upper Midwest.

With more than 2,800 employees, Triumph is listed by the chamber as the city's second-largest company. It produces over 1.5 billion pounds of pork annually. In 2010, the company estimated its economic impact to the St. Joseph area at more than $135 million annually. Company products are sold domestically and are also exported.

The Stockyards area plant began hog-processing operations in January 2006 with 800 employees. Mr. Hoffman led Seaboard Farms before becoming chief executive officer for Premium Pork Allied Producers, a cooperative formed in early 2003 in Wyoming. Premium Pork changed its name to Triumph Foods before the end of that year.

The state-of-the-art plant has undergone two recent expansions. It was in the final stages of construction when a natural gas explosion occurred in October 2005. One worker was killed and 19 others were injured.

A Triumph proposal to build a hog-processing plant near East Moline, Ill., remains stalled.

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