Ex-Hormel Employee Accused of Stealing Trade Secrets and Moving to Competitor

A lawsuit has been filed alleging that a former employee of Hormel Foods, a major packaged meat company, stole confidential sausage recipes and market information before joining a rival company, Johnsonville.

The controversy began when Brett Sims, a long-time Hormel employee, took a senior role at Johnsonville as Chief Supply Chain Officer in June 2023. It is claimed that he solicited Hormel employees to join Johnsonville, breaching his non-solicitation agreement.

Additionally, Sims recruited Jeremy Rummel, a Hormel veteran with 25 years of experience, who allegedly sent proprietary information—including formulas, processing procedures, and marketing strategies—to his personal email before leaving the company.

The lawsuit claims Rummel intended to transfer Hormel’s trade secrets to Johnsonville to benefit its rival at Hormel’s expense. After Hormel confronted Rummel, he admitted to the email breach and visited Sims with plans to share interview details and strategize on his new role.

Hormel, which produces well-known brands such as Spam, Skippy, and Planters, is accusing both Johnsonville and the two former employees of conspiring to unlawfully obtain and use its trade secrets.

The lawsuit emphasizes that misuse of confidential information poses a significant competitive disadvantage in the highly contested sausage market. Hormel also alleges that Johnsonville ignored multiple warnings and failed to cooperate after receiving formal notices about Sims’ and Rummel’s violations.

Neither Sims nor Rummel, nor their attorney, have responded publicly to the allegations.