AUSTIN, Minn., Mar 24, 2010 — Anyone who says the Internet is no place for spam simply isn’t thinking about the right kind of SPAM(R) product. And today Hormel Foods is calling on the “SPAM(TM) army” to prove it!

The company is urging lovers of the SPAM(R) family or products everywhere to help amp up the presence of SPAM(R) products — the right kind, that is — on the Internet. Austin, Minn., the hometown to the SPAM(R) family or products is vying to become a Google Fiber City, a community willing to serve as a test bed for ultra-high-speed Internet access, so Hormel Foods is asking consumers to sign onto http://googleaustinmn.com , click on the “Nominate Austin” tab to support the hometown bid, and encourage others in their social circles to do the same. Voting ends on Friday, March 26.

“No matter where they live, lovers of the SPAM(R) family of products have a unique connection to Austin, where their favorite luncheon meat was born 73 years ago,” said Julie H. Craven, vice president for corporate communications at Hormel Foods Corporation. “Now’s the time for these fans to act as one and help us bring the SPAM(R) brand — and all of the other things Austin has to offer — to the rest of the world and vice-versa more quickly and with greater connectivity than ever before.”

Although it’s competing against much larger cities, Austin, Minn.’s diversity makes it an ideal candidate for Google’s Fiber City project. In addition to being home to Hormel Foods, the city offers a “heart-of-America” mix of large and small businesses, cutting-edge research and medical facilities, city-owned utilities and rural and agricultural interests.

To SPAM(TM) fans, though, Austin has a more important mark of distinction: It’s where 400 cans of their favorite food are produced every minute.

“We’re excited about Austin’s bid and want to give others an opportunity to be part of this movement,” Craven said. “That’s why we’re reaching out to the best fan base in the world: Who better than SPAM(R) lovers to make the Internet safe for SPAM(R) products again?!”