Cargill, CHS, CJ Schwan's, General Mills, Hormel and Land O’Lakes Appeal for Calm in Minneapolis
The CEOs of 74 Minnesota companies – including Cargill, CHS, CJ Schwan's, General Mills, Hormel and Land O’Lakes – signed “an open letter” asking all parties “for an immediate de-escalation of tensions and for state, local and federal officials to work together to find real solutions.”
It’s just three paragraphs, 199 words, and carefully worded not to assign blame to any one entity. The Jan. 25 letter nonetheless cites “yesterday’s tragic news” of a U.S. citizen being shot and killed by agents of U.S. Customs and Border Patrol.
The Jan. 24 killing of nurse Alex Pretti was the second U.S. citizen shot and killed by federal agents in Minneapolis. Renee Good was killed by an officer with Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Jan. 7. Both were protesting immigration sweeps by the federal government.
The letter, which was circulated by the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, asks for “peace and focused cooperation among local, state and federal leaders to achieve a swift and durable solution” to the immigration-related unrest in Minneapolis and elsewhere in Minnesota.
“The recent challenges facing our state have created widespread disruption and tragic loss of life,” the letter states. “For the past several weeks, representatives of Minnesota’s business community have been working every day behind the scenes with federal, state and local officials to advance real solutions. These efforts have included close communication with the Governor, the White House, the Vice President and local mayors. There are ways for us to come together to foster progress.”
It concludes: “We have been working for generations to build a strong and vibrant state here in Minnesota and will do so in the months and years ahead with equal and even greater commitment. In this difficult moment for our community, we call for peace and focused cooperation among local, state and federal leaders to achieve a swift and durable solution that enables families, businesses, our employees, and communities across Minnesota to resume our work to build a bright and prosperous future.”
The full letter is here.
Signatories included:
- Cargill – Brian Sikes, Board Chair and CEO
- CHS – Jay Debertin, President and CEO
- CJ Schwan's – Brian Schiegg, CEO
- General Mills – Jeff Harmening, Chairman and CEO
- Hormel – Jeff Ettinger, Interim CEO
- Land O'Lakes – Beth Ford, President and CEO
About the Author
Dave Fusaro
Editor in Chief
Dave Fusaro has served as editor in chief of Food Processing magazine since 2003. Dave has 30 years experience in food & beverage industry journalism and has won several national ASBPE writing awards for his Food Processing stories. Dave has been interviewed on CNN, quoted in national newspapers and he authored a 200-page market research report on the milk industry. Formerly an award-winning newspaper reporter who specialized in business writing, he holds a BA in journalism from Marquette University. Prior to joining Food Processing, Dave was Editor-In-Chief of Dairy Foods and was Managing Editor of Prepared Foods.