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TheBuzz

BY ERIKA ENGLE

An isle Spambiotic
relationship fuels
Hormel’s bottom line

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Amid the financial gobbledygook in the Hormel Foods Corp. earnings report released earlier this week, a fun fact jumped out.

"Fourth-quarter dollar sales increased 17 percent to $38.8 million. Sales included the introduction of a featured Spam breakfast item at McDonald's outlets in Guam, Hawaii and Saipan."

The Spam Eggs and Rice breakfast entree "was test-marketed for the better part of the summer," said Julie Craven, director of communications, "and it was so successful McDonald's decided to put it on their regular menu."

"2002 was a very good year despite some challenges in the economy but certainly the success of Spam at McDonald's was a part of that," she said.

The news wasn't lost on McDonald's Restaurants of Hawaii, which includes the Guam and Saipan locations.

"We're thrilled. That's great news for Hormel and it's also exciting for us here in Hawaii," said Marketing Manager Melanie Okazaki. "It's just really interesting how we contribute to Hormel's success."

Craven confirmed, for no doubt the umptee-ninth time, that Hawaii by far eats more Spam than any other state. However, "Per capita consumption in Guam is the highest in the world."

The gauntlet has been thrown.

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Erika Engle is a reporter with the Star-Bulletin.
Call 529-4302, fax 529-4750 or write to Erika Engle,
Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., No. 7-210,
Honolulu, HI 96813. She can also be reached
at: eengle@starbulletin.com