Recent content from Brooks Johnson
The pandemic honeymoon is over as General Mills returns to slow-growth mode
Quarterly profits fell 18% from a year ago as inflation cools consumer spending and buying habits tilt back to pre-pandemic patterns.
Potentially undercooked Spam reached store shelves in Texas
One lot of Spam, made by Austin, Minn.-based Hormel, sold at HEB stores is affected.
3M employees bribed Chinese government officials, SEC says
The case highlights the risk of loose control over foreign subsidiaries that can lead to corruption.
TreeHouse Foods sells snack bar business, Lakeville plant for $63 million
John B. Sanfilippo & Son will take over the million-square-foot facility, TreeHouse Foods' only remaining manufacturing plant in Minnesota.
Minnesota company Watkins took on spice giant McCormick. Eight years later, it lost.
Winona-based Watkins launched the federal false advertising suit about McCormick's iconic pepper tins in 2015.
Bacon prices are down, and so is Hormel's profit
Hormel Foods sold more food but still saw sales fall this summer, reversing recent trends in packaged food sales.
3M settles yearslong earplug litigation for $6B with military service members
The Combat Arms settlement ends one of the nation's largest ever mass torts.
Former employees sue 3M, alleging discrimination at South Dakota plant
Several lawsuits claim the employees were retaliated against after reporting abusive conduct to supervisors.
First month of Minnesota's cannabis tax nets the state nearly $600K
The July haul is a partial snapshot of the state's hemp-derived THC gummy and drink market.
3M names CEO of Zimmer Biomet to lead health care spinoff
Bryan Hanson, who will join the company in September, was previously an executive at Medtronic and Covidien.
3M helped make virtual reality headsets smaller. Next step? More consumer demand
As traditional electronics sales sag, 3M hopes to benefit from expected VR growth this decade.
Hastings Creamery, more than a century old, closes after milk leak in city's wastewater
Regulators disconnected the creamery from the sewer system earlier this summer after the incident.
Med-tech manufacturer closing Oakdale plant, laying off 81 workers
Layoffs at the former Smiths Medical plant begin this fall and will conclude at the end of 2024.
Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport contractor settles religious discrimination case
A former employee said she was not allowed to wear a skirt to her job at the airport, in accordance with her faith.
Star Tribune begins reorganization aimed at digital future
Steve Grove makes first sweeping changes to the media company's organization as CEO and publisher.
1 dead, 6 injured after shooting at show at south Mpls. house
Two gunmen reportedly fled on foot. No arrests have been made.
Why did Spam become an international sensation?
It's just canned meat with a catchy name. But this Minnesota invention has a cultural legacy that extends across the globe — and even into our email inboxes.
What you need to know about Minnesota's marijuana legalization law
Minnesota is the 23rd state to legalize recreational cannabis. Here's a detailed look at what the new law allows — and what it won't.
Grocery prices may fall next year for inflation-weary consumers
Food inflation is expected to cool in 2024, but a lot of unknowns make for a wide range of possibilities.
Marijuana legalization marks new era for state, but will Minnesotans embrace it?
Celebrations, shrugs and hand-wringing mark the beginning of legal weed in Minnesota.
Northern Brewer closing retail locations, transitions to online-only sales
The Minnesota-based homebrewing supplier is closing its retail locations in St. Paul, St. Louis Park and Milwaukee by the end of the month.
Marijuana use and possession are now legal in Minnesota. Here's what you need to know.
Selling without a license is still a crime. Other than medical marijuana, hemp-derived products and tribal dispensaries, Minnesota now has a "gray" market.
General Mills doubles vitamin D in cereals since 90% of Americans don't consume enough
The FDA approved a higher limit this year for the essential nutrient in breakfast cereals.
Lift Bridge Brewing in legal battle about cannabis beverage production
The Stillwater brewery wants out of a contract so it can start making and selling CBD and THC seltzers.
3M records rare quarterly loss but raises outlook following layoffs and other cuts
The company took a $10 billion hit in the second quarter to cover a recent PFAS settlement.
Hormel's cultural anthropologist discovers what consumers really eat and why we love Spam
Tanya Rodriguez talks to the Star Tribune about emerging flavors, AI and how she ended up looking in people's refrigerators.
How to save for your kids' college education
The best advice, once your own financial house is in order: Start now.
Marijuana market could be a boon for other industries, jobs
Not everyone who works with cannabis will be growing or selling it. There will be cannabis accountants, lawyers, insurance agents and more.
Red Lake Nation to open Minnesota's first recreational marijuana dispensary Aug. 1
The band's medical marijuana provider says it will start selling to recreational customers the first day it becomes legal across the state.
MyPillow selling equipment after retailers pull its products
CEO Mike Lindell says annual sales fell $100 million after several big-box retailers cut ties following his election claims.
From massive litigation to mass layoffs, what's going on at 3M?
The Maplewood-based industrial giant is hobbled by litigation, slowing sales and a stock price cut in half over the past five years as thousands of jobs are being shed.
More American cooks use air fryers, and food companies are providing instructions
Food companies respond to still-strong consumer demand for the appliances, which are now in nearly two-thirds of U.S. households.
Hot dogs more popular than burgers in Minnesota for Fourth of July
Minnesotans prefer these foods for the red, white and blue holiday, according pre-July 4th sales and Google trends.
Minnesota's economy gained speed at the start of 2023
The state's GDP growth was slightly higher than the nation's overall in the first quarter. It also grew at a faster rate than last year's pace.
Totino's pizza was reformulated 25 times in 26 weeks at height of pandemic
After three years of the pandemic era's topsy-turvy market conditions, General Mills is getting back to normal — including slower growth.
Pet food prices keep rising, but pet parents keep buying
Pet owners know it's not always as simple as grabbing a cheaper bag to save money, since it takes time for animals to adjust to new food.
Minn.'s legal marijuana sales projected to reach $1.5B by 2029
State's legal cannabis market could also serve more than 700,000 consumers annually, a new analysis shows.
Why did Minnesota once require margarine to be dyed pink?
Once the nation's leading butter producer, Minnesota fought hard against the "abomination" of margarine.
How office language, and etiquette around it, has changed
At work, as with any writing, consider your audience.
Food companies sell more heat-and-serve options to fill gaps in short-staffed kitchens
Precooked shortcuts are helping cafeterias amid labor challenges — and are boosting sales for Minnesota food companies.
General Mills CEO: These five brands are key to company growth
Jeff Harmening, chief executive for the Minnesota food giant, ranked the company's brands by near-term growth potential.
Hormel's 'aggressive' global strategy stalls amid international speed bumps
The Minnesota-based food company recently invested more than $400 million in an Indonesian snack food company.
Minneapolis brand turns leftovers from oat milk production into cereal
Seven Sundays is using protein powder left behind in oat milk produced by Eden Prairie-based SunOpta.
The future of beverages: Robot bartenders and reusable soda bottles
Janet Johanson is CEO of BevSource, one of the nation's leading suppliers to the beverage industry.
How to become an investor and dabble in the stock market
Just a few bucks a day can, in the long term, help achieve financial goals. But it's not without risk.
Are Minnesota's THC beverages as potent as they claim?
Consumers should check test results provided by QR codes on packaging to ensure they're getting what they paid for.
Hormel confronts consumer resistance to continued price increases
Shoppers and retailers are balking at ongoing hikes, resulting in declining sales, but the Minnesota food producer plans more price increases anyway.
Michigan, the first Midwestern state with legal marijuana, offers lessons for Minnesota
As U.S. states have gradually approved pot's legal use, a fellow Great Lakes state says: "Learn from our mistakes."
Minneapolis-based private-label food maker buys Emerald Nuts
The store-brand manufacturer bought the snack nuts brand from Campbell Soup Co., gaining an established brand in the snack aisle.
Sun Country flight attendants vote to reject contract offer
Union representatives for the flight attendants first reached a tentative agreement with the Minnesota-based airline in March.
Minnesota food science pioneer Hong Sik 'Peter' Park dies at 86
The Korean immigrant led the development of calcium-fortified yogurt, helping usher in an era of functional food ingredients.
3M partners with Canada firm to make materials that will remove carbon dioxide from the air
3M will increase production of Svante Technologies' carbon-removal filters.
Minnesota lawmakers finish marijuana bill, votes up next
A conference committee finished merging the House and Senate bills to legalize recreational use.
Lawsuits targeting company websites for ADA violations on the rise
Digital accessibility is required by law, but less than 4% of websites fully comply, leaving most businesses exposed to litigation risk.
Minnesota-based SunOpta's latest flex: protein shakes
The company's new plant in Texas adds the ability to produce ready-to-drink nutrition beverages.
Popped water lily seed snacks? This Minnesota product leans on ancient practices
Yoga Pops, a popped water lily seed snack, is riding consumer trends to growth. Such Ayurvedic-inspired products are finding an audience in Minnesota.
Could 3M lose its spot in the prestigious Dow Jones index?
3M is the worst performer on the key stock index since 2018 and is about to spin off health care, a quarter of its revenue.
JBS launches own slaughterhouse cleaning service after a contractor hired minors
The move follows the discovery of child labor used by a contractor to clean slaughterhouses in Minnesota and elsewhere.
3M laying off 1,100 at Maplewood headquarters
That's 10% of the company's local workforce as 3M embarks on global cost-cutting plan
General Mills' Gold Medal flour recalled over salmonella concerns
A multistate salmonella outbreak was reported by federal authorities last month involving flour.
Dispute between Minnesota hemp, marijuana advocates heads to court
The clash comes while the Legislature prepares to legalize recreational marijuana.
Cereal-maker Post settles trademark dispute with band OK Go
The two parties reached a confidential settlement in federal court late Friday.
How 'fractional work' is becoming the gig economy's next thing
The Twin Cities area has a "critical mass" of fractional professionals.
3M cutting 6,000 more jobs in restructuring
Global cuts, including in Minnesota, come in addition to 2,500 manufacturing layoffs announced in January as the company undertakes a significant reorganization.
Minnesota regulators find mold in THC syrup
The companies behind the syrup are being sued for violating the state's hemp-derived THC law.
The lessons Colorado and Michigan learned from marijuana legalization
Minnesota lawmakers considering legalizing recreational marijuana can look to these two states for answers.
General Mills reduced its emissions more than 30% in three years. Now comes the hard part
Most of the company's greenhouse gas emissions are outside of the Golden Valley-based company's direct control.
Minneapolis Downtown Council CEO Steve Cramer to retire
The longtime booster of downtown departs after a long career in city, county and nonprofit roles.
As votes near, 4 ways Minnesota's marijuana legalization bill has changed
A few key updates as the Minnesota House and Senate prepare to vote on the measure.
Wells Fargo closing home mortgage campus in south Mpls.
The company also will exit its Metropoint offices in St. Louis Park and relocate workers to downtown Minneapolis and Shoreview.
3M health care spinoff will remain in Minnesota, for now
A "transitional arrangement" will keep both companies at 3M Center in Maplewood until a new headquarters is identified.
Southern Minn. pork plant likely to close, laying off 1,000
HyLife Foods is seeking a buyer for the Windom, Minn., operation but has so far been unsuccessful.
Why factory jobs are attracting more young Minnesota workers
Amid changing perceptions, record job openings and a wave of retirements, Gen Z and millennials are increasingly drawn to manufacturing work.
New bird flu cases are confirmed in Minnesota flock
A mixed flock of 114 chickens, ducks and geese was infected with the virus in Le Sueur County.
