Staff Directory 6134711

Brooks Johnson

Food and Manufacturing Reporter | Food and Manufacturing
Phone: 612-673-4229

Brooks Johnson is a business reporter covering Minnesota’s food industry, 3M and manufacturing trends.


Raised in Fargo and educated at the University of Montana, Johnson worked at newspapers in Idaho, Washington and Duluth before joining the Star Tribune at its relaunched Duluth bureau in 2019. He lives in the Twin Cities with his wife and their young son and is looking for new streams to fly-fish.
Recent content from Brooks Johnson
This file photo shows the Leinenkugel's brewery in Chippewa Falls, Wis. Molson Coors plans to close the brewery and consolidate operations in Milwauke

Molson Coors closing historic Leinenkugel's brewery in Chippewa Falls, Wis.

Brewing operations at the Wisconsin landmark are moving to an upgraded plant in Milwaukee.
A barge filled with soybeans awaits unloading at the CHS grain export terminal on the Mississippi River at Myrtle Grove, Louisiana. From here it will

CHS facing competition for its $200M offer to buy West Central cooperative

Minnesota-based CHS also reported a $1.1 billion annual profit Wednesday.
Mochi plays on the sand at the Minnehaha off-leash dog park in Minneapolis on Oct. 1.

General Mills' $1.2B bet on pet treats falls victim to poor timing

Several brands given lower valuation amid slow sales.
Land O'Lakes Chief Technology Officer Teddy Bekele

Farming is more high-tech than ever. Just ask Land O'Lakes' chief technology officer.

Chief Technology Officer Teddy Bekele is leading a digital transformation at the Minnesota-based cooperative.
Bruce Bisping/Star Tribune. Minneapolis, MN., Friday, 4/1/2005. For years supermarkets have touted fresh produce as a way to counter the traditional p

Cub grocery now accepting SNAP for online orders

The supermarket joins a host of other retailers approved to accept the food assistance payments for online orders.
Solventum's headquarters on the 3M campus in Maplewood.

State subsidy keeps 3M spinoff Solventum in Minnesota

The state approved a request for up to $13 million in assistance for the $209 million headquarters project at a former Blue Cross building in Eagan.
AURI's virtual assistant, or AVA, is built to answer questions about the business of food and agriculture.

Have a question about starting a food business in Minnesota? Ask AVA.

State agency has paired its food and ag resources with an AI tool to help entrepreneurs and producers.
As chicken wing season hits a peak with March Madness, we delve into the brutal economics of the chicken wing through two Minnesota-based companies, B

More than 1.4 million chickens stranded by closure of Pure Prairie Poultry plant euthanized

Several hundred thousand birds in Minnesota and Wisconsin were able to find new homes after the bankrupt poultry company stopped delivering feed.
In a file photo taken Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021, finished My Pillow pallets are wrapped and stored at a Shakopee warehouse.

MyPillow and CEO Mike Lindell say they resorted to $600K in loan shark-like financing as judgments mounted

Now, the company and Lindell himself are suing several merchant cash advance companies.
Frozen Jennie-O turkeys photographed at a Cub Foods store in St. Paul, Minn., on Monday, November 15, 2021.  ] Elizabeth Flores • liz.flores@startri

Target, Walmart lower prices this year with competing Thanksgiving meal deals

The announcement continues the price war between the two mega-retailers.
One of Hormel Health Labs' key brands, Thick & Easy, is marketed to patients with difficulty swallowing.

Hormel sells pioneering business that makes specialized food for people with medical conditions

Hormel Health Labs is being sold to California company as parent company looks to refocus around core categories.
The Metropolitan Airports Commission has spent more than $8 million for new firefighting vehicles that can use alternatives to toxic PFAS fire foams,

Delta Air Lines says it needs more time to ditch toxic PFAS firefighting foam at MSP

Minnesota lawmakers gave maintenance hangars, including Delta's, a reprieve as Sun Country, MSP make progress toward PFAS-free firefighting foam.
3M headquarters in Maplewood.

'Momentum in the water' as 3M profits top expectations

The company raised its outlook for the rest of year on Tuesday.
A woman shops in a Target store in Upper Saint Clair, Pa., in July. The Minneapolis-based retailer is cutting prices again as it seeks to win back inf

In the Target vs. Walmart price war, consumers keep winning

Minneapolis-based Target announced another 2,000 price cuts on Tuesday, as the holiday retail season heats up.
3M headquarters in Maplewood.

3M dials back remote work policy

Senior directors need to be back three days a week in November. Other employees encouraged to also work from Maplewood HQ those days, CEO said in letter.
The Twins' value has gone up exponentially over the past 40 years. Shown is Target Field in one of the Twins' last games of the season.

The Twins cost how much? Why sports team valuations have exploded

The value of the Twins has grown exponentially in 40 years. The price of the Wolves nearly doubled in three years. The increases have put club ownership out of reach for even 'minor billionaires.'
Best Buy has grown its selection of XXL TVs, those with screens larger than 97 inches, for the holiday season.

Best Buy hoping supersize TVs will get more holiday shoppers to splurge on electronics

XXL TVs are surging in popularity, and the Richfield-based retailer has doubled its selection of TVs 97 inches and bigger.
Solventum, which spun off from 3M on April 1, plans to move its headquarters to Eagan, if it gets state assistance. Shown is its current headquarters

If it stays in Minnesota, Solventum plans $209M overhaul of Eagan Blue Cross campus

The 3M health care spinoff is asking for $13 million in state assistance as it decides where to put its permanent campus.
Doug Martin, General Mills’ chief marketing officer, was all smiles at the company’s headquarters in Golden Valley on Monday.

General Mills' marketing boss on reaching consumers in an era of advertising overload

The company's fortunes may rest on its increasing ad spending, but Doug Martin isn't breaking a sweat.
Chef and owner Warren Seta rolls together grilled Spam, teriyaki sauce, rice and dried seaweed while making Spam musubi at Ono Hawaiian Plates in Minn

Spam is a Minnesota-born meat that's become an essential Asian ingredient

The brand of canned meat has long had a place in Asian and Pacific Island cuisine, from Spam musubi to army stew, and now Hormel is bringing those flavors to the U.S. with products like Korean barbecue- and gochujang-flavored Spam.
3M's new WorkTunes hearing-protection headset with a solar-charging band that can use both indoor and outdoor light to power Bluetooth audio.

Beats by 3M? Latest noise-cancelling headset boasts solar charging, improved audio

The Maplewood company's new WorkTunes release marks the first solar-charging headset on the consumer market.
GLEN STUBBE ¥ gstubbe@startribune.com --ÊThursday, November 4, 2010 -- Minneapolis, MN -- L to R are ] The Pohlad brothers, Jim, Bob and Bil

Who are the Pohlads, the family selling the Minnesota Twins?

Carl Pohlad paid $44 million for the team in 1984 after earning a fortune in banking, soda bottling and car sales.
Young chickens at a farm in Pescadero, Calif. A Minnesota-based poultry company says it has run out of money to feed hundreds of thousands of birds.

Minnesota moves to cull or process hundreds of thousands of chickens at struggling farms

Pure Prairie Poultry, a Nicollet County-based chicken company, had tried to file for bankruptcy last month.
Land O'Lakes staged a "farmcore-to-table" runway show last month in rural Paris, Wis., as part of an ongoing farmcore ad campaign meant to appeal to y

Land O'Lakes brings 'farmcore' fashion to the runway in Paris (Wisconsin)

The Minnesota-based cooperative's ad campaign aims to connect consumers to its farmer-owners through joining the farmcore social media trend.
Cars idle while sitting in the drive-thru lane at McDonald's on Broadway in North Minneapolis. McDonald's is suing Cargill and other beef suppliers, c

McDonald's sues Cargill, other beef suppliers for alleged price-fixing

The fast food giant says the Big Four beef companies broke antitrust law and artificially raised prices.
Temple Israel Rabbi Marcia Zimmerman spoke Saturday about threats made to the synagogue and increased security, as Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Po

Extra Minneapolis police patrols planned for synagogues after Temple Israel gets threats

The caution comes amid the Jewish High Holy Days and the impending anniversary of the Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
3M has ambitious plan to reduce greenhouse emissions. Shown is the company's plant in Hutchinson.

3M sets ambitious greenhouse gas goals

The Minnesota company set its first validated target for Scope 3 emissions and reported progress in its internal goals.
Steve Carlson, with Carlson Farms, harvest soy beans in his combine on Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2017 in Welch, Minn. ] AARON LAVINSKY ï aaron.lavinsky@s

If a trade war comes, U.S. agriculture might be 'on the losing side'

A new analysis from NDSU researchers warned retaliatory tariffs could wipe out billions in farm exports if the U.S. puts new tariffs on imports.
In this Oct. 7, 2010, file photo, a Green Mountain Coffee single-serving brewing cup is seen in a Keurig machine in Montpelier, Vt.

Minnesota company replicated Keurig's K-cups, alleges former customer stole its coffee pod tech

Microtrace is suing TreeHouse Foods for breach of contract for allegedly using its trade secrets to make Keurig-compatible coffee pods.
Charlie Berens at the Riverside Theatre in Milwaukee. The comedian has made Kwik Trip a central theme in his social media comedy skits since it's so w

Comedian Charlie Berens on Wisconsin-based Kwik Trip: 'Yes, I will see you next time.'

The viral sketch producer and stand-up comedian shares what he thinks makes his home state's famed gas station and convenience store chain so popular in the Midwest.
A line operator boxes glazed doughnuts at the Kwik Trip Sweets Bakery in La Crosse, Wis., on Sept. 12.

How Kwik Trip created a cult-like following in the Midwest

The Wisconsin-based regional gas station chain has become a cultural icon in the area thanks to its focus on affordable prices, crave-worthy food and kind workers.
Solventum's current headquarters on the 3M campus in Maplewood.

3M health care spinoff Solventum seeking state help to keep HQ in Minnesota

A move to Eagan would keep the new Fortune 500 company in Minnesota but separate from its current home in 3M's Maplewood campus.
Molly Guiding practices yoga while having a beer at Big Wood Brewery in Vadnais Heights on Sept. 19. The balance, or battle, between health and wellne

Cargill's consumer TrendTracker reveals 'battle between reward and guilt'

Cargill research shows consumers make calculations on how many healthy choices give "permission to indulge."
A Schwan's Home Delivery truck in 1994 in Eden Prairie. The Minnesota-born business now known as Yelloh is closing for good.

Former Schwan's delivery service, Yelloh, shutting down after 72 years as a Minnesota business

The food delivery business with the iconic yellow trucks "has regrettably run its life cycle," says one board member. The Schwan's name lives on in frozen foods after a South Korean company bought that part of the business in 2019.
Fair State Brewing Cooperative.

Northeast Minneapolis' Fair State Brewing exits bankruptcy, eyes 'fresh start'

Upgrades are in the works after the Minnesota brewery found a path through its debt.
Aerial view of a green pasture in northern Wisconsin where Organic Valley cows have grazed around fences to create a green billboard.

Organic Valley turning pasture into green 'buzz-worthy' billboard on Minnesota farm

Cows feeding around fences are being used to spell out ad visible from miles up on farm outside Elko New Market.
Loaves of bread at New French Bakery, the first company in the Rise Baking Co. portfolio.

Minneapolis-based commercial bakery acquired in deal that could be worth $2.5 billion

Rise Baking Co. grew rapidly through acquisitions after it was founded in 2013.
Boxes of Annie's Macaroni & Cheese are shown on the shelf at a supermarket in Edina, Minn., Sunday, March 4, 2018. Annie's is an organic and natural u

After ditching Yoplait, General Mills on the hunt for an acquisition

The Minnesota food giant wants to spend up to $2 billion for a "bolt-on" addition as it announces quarterly profits dropped 14%.
Minnesota food companies General Mills and Hormel joined forces to release a Cinnamon Toast Crunch-coated bacon.

Two Minnesota companies team up to create Cinnamon Toast Crunch bacon

General Mills and Hormel embarked on an uncommon partnership with a sweet-and-savory goal in mind: to meld a top-selling breakfast cereal with a signature bacon brand.
Corn shoots out of an auger into a semitrailer truck on Peterson’s Farm in Clear Lake, Minn., last spring. Lower prices for corn, soy and wheat mean

CHS returning $600 million to cooperative owners

The cash payments and equity redemption will be the third-highest patronage payouts on record for the Minnesota-based co-op.
FedEx trucks unload in Anchorage, Alaska Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2009. FedEx, on Thursday, reported that quarterly earnings have fallen 53 percent over l

Feds sue FedEx, alleging injured workers were illegally denied accommodations

A Minnesota woman initially brought the claim after being denied "reasonable accommodations" following an injury.
Minnetonka-based Cargill said in a statement the company decided to settle the case “only to avoid larger litigation costs and distractions from the

Cargill settles wage-fixing suit for $30M

The Minnesota-based meat giant joins several other companies settling claims of collusion.
My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell speaks at a Trump Vance rally at Herb Brooks National Hockey Center on July 27 in St. Cloud.

In 'response to all the censorship,' Mike Lindell takes public his FrankSpeech streaming platform

The founder of Chanhassen-based MyPillow dreams of landing the broadcast network and its social media counterpart, FrankSocial, on a major stock exchange.
The Old Dutch "Twin Pack" stands out from other potato chip packages in the grocery store snack aisle.

How did Old Dutch potato chips get started in St. Paul?

The company with the twin pack box created 'one of Minnesota's most beloved snack products.'
Cargill is buying two animal feed mills for an undisclosed sum.

Cargill expands national footprint, buying animal feed mills in Denver and Kansas City

The acquisition gives the Minnesota-based agribusiness a better foothold in central and western states.
Planters products at a convenience store in Minneapolis on Wednesday. Hormel's sales suffered after a Planters facility was shuttered for five weeks t

Planters nuts recall dims Hormel's outlook

Planters disruption, low turkey prices and pockets of weak demand are dragging the Minnesota company's sales.
Plastic bags await shredding at the recycling facility in Rogers in December then run by MyPlas. GDB Circular is reopening the plant.

Fraught plastic film recycling plant in Rogers reopening with new ownership

GDB International is taking the helm after MyPlas built the $30 million plant that quickly went under despite backing from companies like General Mills and Schwan's.
With fossil fuels so ingrained in the economy, BioMADE Chief Operating Officer Jill Zullo said “there’s a lot of pressure on price” when it come

BioMADE still on hunt for $200M biomanufacturing campus in Minnesota

A year after the state Legislature awarded money to the nonprofit for a pilot plant, the search, and research, continues.
This Feb. 20, 2015, photo shows an arrangement of peanuts in New York. For years, parents of babies who seem likely to develop a peanut allergy have g

How to pack allergen-free snacks as kids head back to school

Some classrooms require allergy-friendly fare as food allergies remain on the rise.
Sweetleaves, a THC business in Minneapolis, sells edibles, beverages, and supplies, as well as the art found throughout the space.

Two years in, Minnesota's THC market hasn't lost its buzz

The market for low-dose drinks and edibles is maturing and ready to face the competition from recreational marijuana dispensaries, which are expected to open next year.
Hormel headquarters in Austin, MN. ] GLEN STUBBE * gstubbe@startribune.com Friday September 11, 2015 Despite woes throughout the food industry, partly

Hormel, affiliated meatpackers settle wage-fixing lawsuits for $13.5 million

Hormel subsidiary Jennie-O Turkey Store also settled similar claims.
A rendering of the planned expansion for Duluth's paper mill, seen here between Interstate 35 and the Bong Bridge.

Duluth paper mill plans major expansion, adding 160 jobs

Sofidel is investing up to $250 million to grow the tissue paper mill.
Shoppers at the Hy-Vee in Savage in May. Even as inflation cools, prices are still higher than many are accustomed to. Grocery prices are up 25% since

Inflation is low. Prices are still high. What gives?

Higher prices for many goods and services are likely here to stay.
It wouldn't be very Minnesota Nice of us to reject a compliment.

How does Minnesota's income inequality compare with other states?

Minnesota has the highest median personal income in the Midwest and boasts a relatively narrow gap between the lowest incomes and the median.
Hormel headquarters in Austin, MN. ] GLEN STUBBE * gstubbe@startribune.com Friday September 11, 2015 Despite woes throughout the food industry, partly

Hormel's head of retail retiring amid company transformation

Former Applegate president John Ghingo will replace Deanna Brady this fall.
A jar of Cadillac Rainbow is one of dozens of strains of cannabis flower at Herbana in Ann Arbor, Mich. As Minnesota moves closer to licensing cannabi

Out-of-state applicants swarm Minnesota's early cannabis license window

Those chosen among the 1,800 pre-applications will have a head start when Minnesota issues licenses, likely next year.
In this April 21, 2019 photo, a cargo ship transits the Panama Canal in its way to the Atlantic Ocean, while tree trunks that used to be submerged are

Drought, war across the world hurting Minnesota farmers, agribusinesses

Low water in the Panama Canal and violence in the Red Sea join a host of other pressures on American farmers and exporters.
Cargill headquarters in Minnetonka. The company's annual revenue fell for the first time in several years amid a drop in commodity prices.

Cargill's annual revenue falls for the first time in years

The company is reorganizing from five to three divisions to jumpstart growth.
Cargill Inc. headquarters in Minnetonka.

Cargill plans restructuring amid earnings slowdown

After years of growth, the Minnetonka-based company is trying to streamline following a commodity dip experienced by many agribusinesses.
CHS and Rumo will build a grain terminal at this DP World site at the Port of Santos in Brazil.

CHS partners on $440 million grain terminal in Brazil

The Minnesota-based cooperative has formed a joint venture with Brazilian rail giant Rumo.
Regenerative agriculture is seen as crucial to sustainably feeding a growing global population that already sees 900 million people facing food insecu

Can Minnesota help solve global food insecurity?

The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations thinks so after a visit to the Twin Cities this week.
Class-action lawsuits are seeking millions of dollars in damages for consumers nationwide alleging General Mills' Cocoa Puffs cereal contains high lev

Lawsuits allege high levels of lead in General Mills' Cocoa Puffs cereal

The class-action suits seek millions in damages for consumers nationwide and joins a number of related claims against chocolate makers.
People gather at Pryes Brewing Company in Minneapolis, one of dozens of Minnesota breweries that offer an NA selection.

Beer sales are waning. Can NA brews buoy the industry?

Amid rapid national growth of nonalcoholic beers, new challenges face brewers hoping to have something for everyone at Minnesota taprooms.
One of 3M's oldest products, Scotch tape, moves down the production line at the company's plant in Hutchinson, Minn. in 2022. The company's new CEO wa

'Our products are aging': New 3M CEO wants more innovation

After a decade of decline, more new product launches are expected in the years ahead with Bill Brown at the helm.
3M has named a new CFO, Anurag Maheshwari, who will start in September.

New 3M CFO has shared history with chief executive

Anurag Maheshwari spent years at L3Harris, which CEO Bill Brown previously led.
FILE - Cannabis plants grow at a True North Collective growing facility in Jackson, Mich. Voters in five states are deciding on Election Day whether t

Proposed cannabis regulations bring Minnesota one step closer to dispensaries

The rules still need approval before the state can start granting licenses.
This turkey brought to Governor Dayton from Minnesota Turkey Growers Association received only a temporary reprieve. Tuesday, November 20, 2012. ] GLE

Minnesota's turkey industry knocks USDA's new salmonella proposal as costly, unnecessary

USDA proposal would treat salmonella similar to E. coli and set limits on the amount of salmonella allowed in several types of raw chicken and raw ground turkey.
Customers shop the new Aldi store in Ramsey. Grocers and food companies have also felt the loss of expanded SNAP benefits that helped millions afford

A year since emergency SNAP benefits expired, thousands of Minnesotans are struggling

The emergency expansion during the pandemic was such a meaningful subsidy for millions of Americans that food companies like General Mills, Post and Hormel are seeing sales drop by the billions without it.
3M headquarters in Maplewood.

Record rally for 3M shares as profits soar under new CEO

A leaner 3M has sharpened its margins as restructuring pays off.
3M is showing off its golf connections at the 3M Open this week in Blaine.

3M's role in the golf industry goes beyond the PGA Tour's 3M Open

The title sponsor of the event in Blaine this week is deeply embedded in the sport, from sandpaper to adhesives.
Ariel Bernades pours a Minneapolis Cider Co. Trail Magic THC drink, raspberry basil flavored, into a glass for a customer at Minneapolis Cider Co. in

Costly, hard-to-find insurance keeping THC beverages off some Minnesota menus

Minnesota's pioneering approach to on-site THC consumption means insurers don't have a baseline to write policies around and thus are hesitant to offer coverage.
French bread. Photodisc

Food manufacturing plant in Fridley closing, laying off 170 workers

Family-owned Rich's, based in New York, acquired the plant from TreeHouse Foods in 2020.
Cargill headquarters in Minnetonka. The company is laying off 200 tech workers globally in its effort to retool its digital strategy.

Cargill lays off 200 tech workers globally amid digital refocusing

The cuts come as Cargill is opening a tech-focused office hub in Atlanta that plans to hire for 400 jobs.
Soybeans are processed at a CHS plant in Mankato in 2022. Inver Grove Heights-based CHS says its agricultural profits have fallen partly due to height

CHS: Global trade winds continue shifting away from American farmers and cooperatives

Inver Grove Heights-based CHS warned Wednesday that exports face "strong competition."
Monish Patolawala, the new chief financial officer of 3M

3M president, finance chief resigns for job at ADM

President, finance chief at 3M resigns for job at ADM