SLEEPY EYE, MINN. — Pork producer Christensen Farms announced on Sept. 19 that Greg Howard would be promoted to company president.

The news comes as Glenn Stolt, current president and chief executive officer, plans to retire near the end of 2024, according to the company. He will stay in the CEO role until his official retirement and remain a board of directors member. Stolt plans to continue representing Christensen Farms on the board of Triumph Foods. 

Howard has worked at Christensen Farms since September 2010. He previously worked for the company briefly in 2004 and 2005. He began as vice president of marketing in 2010, leading marketing, risk management and logistics. In 2020, Howard was promoted to senior vice president and chief operating officer.

“Greg Howard’s promotion to president is a testament to his exceptional leadership, unwavering dedication and outstanding contributions to Christensen Farms,” said Mary Ann Christensen, owner and chairperson of the board. “Throughout his tenure, Greg has consistently demonstrated a deep understanding of our industry, a clear strategic vision and a relentless drive for excellence.”   

Stolt took over the role of CEO after Robert A. Christensen died of an apparent heart attack in 2012. 

“At Christensen Farms, we continue to focus on building a development-oriented culture providing advancement opportunities for our team,” Stolt said. “This announcement, albeit at the senior level of the organization, demonstrates our commitment to proactive individual and organizational development and succession planning.” 

Christensen Farms is one of the largest pork producers in the US, marketing more than 3.6 million hogs per year. The company operates facilities in Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Illinois and South Dakota, with nearly 1,000 employees and 1,500 contract partners. 

Christensen Farms remains one of the largest shareholders in the Triumph Foods pork processing plant in St. Joseph, Mo. The company noted that Triumph Foods members own 50% of Daily’s Premium Meats. 

Triumph Foods and Seaboard share joint ownership of the Seaboard Triumph Foods pork processing plant in Sioux City, Iowa, as well as Daily’s Premium Meats.