Gold’n
Plump Poultry, Inc. | 4150
2nd Street South, Suite 200,
St.
Cloud,
MN
56301 | Phone: 320-240-6202 | Fax: 320-240-6250 | dhelge@charter.net
Three decades ago, Don Helgeson
leapt ahead of his competitors by applying the brand name Gold’n Plump to
processed chickens, differentiating them from unbranded grocery-store chickens.
Gold’n Plump is now a 1,500-emloyee, $200-million (revenue) breeder, feeder,
processor, and marketer of poultry products. Helgeson, its president and chairman, also has
interests in banking. His Liberty Savings Bank of St.
Cloud has grown to $136 million in assets and become
Minnesota’s largest processor of
residential mortgages.
Born:
December 27, 1927;
St. Cloud
Spouse: Sue Shepard, married June 30, 2007
Children: Michael, Stefan, Scott, and Glen
Education: BA Macalester College (1950), plus three quarters of graduate work at the U of M
Career History: Lifelong (since 1950) involvement with Gold'n Plump Poultry and its predecessor, Jack Frost, Inc., as owner. Majority owner and chairman of Liberty Savings Bank, St. Cloud, since 1975.
Outside Activities: Nineteen years as trustee of Hamline University, six years as director of Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, Downtown St. Cloud Council, Paramount Arts Trust, Minnesota Council on Economic Education.
Awards: Philanthropy award from Central Minnesota Community Foundation, St. Cloud Chamber of Commerce Entrepreneur of the Year, 2007 Minnesota Business Hall of Fame
Key Achievements: “Building several businesses successfully, raising four sons, volunteer work, and extensive worldwide travel.”
