Summary of The 12-Year-Old Dropout Who Led to Inventing SPAM from Unwanted Pork Meat

00:00:00 - 00:15:00

This YouTube video tells the story of a 12-year-old boy who invented SPAM, a canned meat product made from pork meat that was unwanted by farmers. The boy's invention led to billions of dollars in sales, and it is still popular today.

• 00:00:00 In the 1940s, during World War II, canned Spam was a lifesaver for American soldiers in the battlefield. George A. Hormel, a 12-year-old dropout from Toledo, Ohio, invented the foodstuff when his uncle's meat market went bankrupt. The low-cost, high-calorie food became an iconic American meal when George's turn of luck didn't last long and he was unemployed. He finally ventured on his own and opened the first Hormel food store in Des Moines, Iowa.
• 00:05:00 Four years after founding Friedrich and Hormel, George and Albrecht parted ways. George used the money to open a packinghouse on the outskirts of Austin. He named the business, Geo. A. Hormel and Company. For years, George carefully tracked operations at his previous meat market. Over time, he learned that pork had the least waste and the highest profit potential. Because of this, George decided to specialize in pork packing. At the time, a handful of companies called the Big Five were already dominating the meatpacking industry. These companies processed about 12 million animals annually, while George only managed 610 in his first year. To make his mark, George focused on quality, innovation, and cutting down on waste. He also worked in every area of his packinghouse— purchasing, slaughtering, trimming and grading meat, selling, and even cleaning the pigpens. Only two years after expanding, another financial crisis struck and George found his company in trouble. At the same time, the Big Five began to invade George’s territory. In hopes of bringing in more sales, George resorted to borrowing money from a friend to open two more meat markets. With help from his family and new employees, George was able to expand his company outside
• 00:10:00 In the 1940s and 1950s, the United States was fighting World War II, and due to food shortages, Americans began to appreciate canned meat more. One product that became popular due to the shortages was Spam, which was created from cuts of pork that were not fit for human consumption. In each country where American soldiers were stationed, they introduced Spam to locals. Meanwhile, civilians in other countries also began to appreciate the product, and it became a vital source of protein during and after the war. In the 1950s, Spam was also integrated into various local cuisines around the world. Now, Spam is a world-famous product that can be found in many trendy restaurants across America.
• 00:15:00 This YouTube video tells the story of a 12-year-old boy who invented SPAM, a canned meat product made from pork meat that was unwanted by farmers. The boy's invention led to billions of dollars in sales, and it is still popular today.