A major family-owned business in Quebec - Sanimax celebrates 75 years of outstanding growth

LÉVIS, QC, May 12, 2014 /CNW Telbec/ - 2014 marks the 75^th anniversary of Sanimax, a flagship of Quebec's agri-food industry. This third-generation family organization, which rose through the ranks to occupy a dominant position in a large scale market, continues to expand its borders while maintaining its Quebec roots. Since 1939, its mission – providing environmental solutions and added-value to the agri-food Industry – remains paramount.

"The legacy left to us by my grandfather Alex Couture has greatly evolved over the years", mentioned Martin Couture, Chief Executive Officer of SANIMAX. "My sister Julie, my brother André and I are currently the third generation to lead the company, and we are very proud of it. In the 75-year life of Sanimax, which results from its perseverance and its reading of the markets, the company has experienced exceptional growth and is pursuing its development in North America."

An impressive family history
Looking back in time allows to trace Sanimax's history to understand all the hard work and investments, and how its current leaders have seized business opportunities to grow the business for the benefit of its customers, partners and employees.

The founding of the company resulted from the will of Alex and Déziel, two brothers who wanted to start their own business. After working at the Canadian National and in some slaughterhouses of the St-Malo neighbourhood, where fat and bones were processed into useful goods, Alex got to learn the basics of rendering. Following the untimely death of Déziel, Alex remained the only leader of the business and decided to innovate by achieving a vertical integration of his business activities. He established a feed mill and an experimental farm that, at its peak, would include some 30,000 poultry and a pig house. The business was taking off!

"From the very humble and risky beginnings of Couture registered company to today's Sanimax, three generations later, our organization is the fourth largest rendering company in America. A notable achievement. And we all have the assets and determination to pursue our growth on the continent and throughout the world," added Tony Galasso, President and Chief Operating Officer of SANIMAX.

The company currently has 17 operating sites, where more than 1,000 employees are working and a variety of value-added products are manufactured to meet the needs of its many customers. Being technological light-years away from our beginnings, we give a new life and add value to the organic and animal by-products we collect, which are transformed into sought-after goods, thanks to an expertise that is still growing after 75 years. We are a unique recycler that creates economic and environmental value.

A first in North America
This event also marked the first anniversary of the commissioning of the industrial energy-recovery boiler, a ground-breaking environmental valuation and energy recovery technology that uses agri-food by-products, the first of its kind in North America. Launched in May 2013, this boiler is one of the most advanced green technologies in the world, and the results are spectacular. It has allowed us to reduce our natural gas consumption by 5 million cubic meters, divert 13 million pounds of material from landfills, and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by 22,000 tons. This is an outstanding green technology, since it perfectly combines massive reduction in GHG emissions and total elimination of contaminants from animal origin, while allowing tremendous fossil energy savings.

About SANIMAX
Guided by four core values that are: the importance of its employees and customers, of taking action and being responsible, of doing what's right, and of seeking better ways, SANIMAX reclaims materials, renews them, and return them on the market, and has been doing so for several generations of entrepreneurs committed to their communities.

Our company is a leading supplier of ingredients for the agriculture and animal nutrition industries, as well as a world-renowned purveyor of hides and skins. Active in 17 Canadian and North American communities, SANIMAX provides employment for more than 1,000 people.

 

SOURCE: Sanimax

Source: SANIMAX, Éric Dunn, 418-832-4645, ext. 3190, [email protected]; Information: Raphaëlle Cyr-Lelièvre, Consultant, Public Relations, H+K Stratégies, Telephone: [phone], Email: [email protected], Mobile: [phone]