(Radio Iowa) – Hormel Foods has named a long time manager at its Algona plant in a lawsuit accusing a competitor of trying to steal trade secrets.

The lawsuit claims that in 2023 Wisconsin-based Johnsonville hired Brett Sims, Hormel’s director of operations, and Sims began reaching out to several Hormel managers, inviting them to join Johnsonville. The suit alleges that Sims contacted Jeremy Rummel, the manager at Hormel’s Algona plant, soliciting information related to Hormel’s product formulas, processing procedures, acquisition targets, and marketing strategies. Hormel contends that Rummel accepted a job offer to work with Johnsonville and, before he left Hormel, the lawsuit alleges Rummel began to forward company information to his personal email account.

Hormel is seeking a judgement that will award damages from the breached agreements with its former employees, as well as a requirement that all disclosed trade secrets be retrieved, returned and/or destroyed.

Johnsonville has not released a statement on the lawsuit.