The Hormel Family Foundation was founded in 1999 by the late Ben F. Hormel, a McCook entrepreneur, to support McCook Community College. Among his many business ventures, Hormel operated the Chevrolet dealership in McCook. When he passed away in 2002, he passed on the torch to his children and grandchildren, who operate the foundation today.
Their foundation is committed to education, entrepreneurship and business development in the McCook and southwestern Nebraska economic region. They believe that education and entrepreneurship are the strongest weapons against the population loss.
Through a partnership with McCook Community College and southwest Nebraska area business sponsors, the Hormel Entrepreneurship Competition will be a program to help local businesses in the startup or expansion phase with business plan writing and a business grant to help jumpstart the business. The program will also contain a component to help traditional students learn alongside local entrepreneurs who are putting their business together.
The contest will host startup or expanding businesses from 7 southwest counties in Nebraska that will consist of (Chase, Dundy, Frontier, Furnas, Hayes, Hitchcock, and Red Willow.) The goal of the program is to help support economic gardening in southwest Nebraska.