Canada Packers name reemerges as Maple Leaf spins off pork division

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Published: October 11, 2024

Canada Packers label reemerges as Maple Leaf spins off pork division

Maple Leaf Food’s pork division, set to separate into an independent company, will be named Canada Packers.

“This choice reflects our deep respect for the history and legacy of this iconic brand, while affording us the opportunity to bring it forward and blend it with our ambitious vision for the future as a world-leading pork producer,” said pork division president Dennis Organ in a news release.

Organ is set to be CEO of Canada Packers.

Maple Leaf announced in July it would split off its pork division into an independent entity. It will retain a 19.9 per cent ownership of the pork business.

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The two companies will form an “evergreen” pork supply agreement to provide Maple Leaf with pork, and Canada Packers with a secure “anchor customer,” the news release said.

The separation is set for some time next year.

Maple Leaf will continue to produce consumer packaged goods, the news release said.

Maple Leaf Foods Inc was formed in 1991 when Canada Packers merged with Maple Leaf Mills Ltd, according to Maple Leaf’s website.

Canada Packers formed in 1927 when the Harris Abbatoir Company and the William Davies Company Ltd merged, the Manitoba Historical Society’s website says.

About the author

Geralyn Wichers

Geralyn Wichers

Digital editor, news and national affairs

Geralyn graduated from Red River College's Creative Communications program in 2019 and launched directly into agricultural journalism with the Manitoba Co-operator. Her enterprising, colourful reporting has earned awards such as the Dick Beamish award for current affairs feature writing and a Canadian Online Publishing Award, and in 2023 she represented Canada in the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists' Alltech Young Leaders Program. Geralyn is a co-host of the Armchair Anabaptist podcast, cat lover, and thrift store connoisseur.

 

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