A nurse by training, the owner of Canada Sauce, Simon-Pierre Murdock, has always felt challenged by entrepreneurship. This fiber literally runs through his veins, since his family has been working in the business world for several decades in Chicoutimi.
In 2008, the young entrepreneur founded Morille Québec. This first experience in business allowed him to make trials, errors and learnings.
Ten years later, the closing of the factories of a multinational condiment producer in Ontario had the effect of a click.
” This is where I said to myself: ”Why, in Quebec, would we not own a business that manufactures condiments?” I convinced my associates to embark on a kind of conquest of the market. »
Local flavors
Canada Sauce is a condiment manufacturing company with international ambitions. Despite everything, the local market remains a priority. All recipe ingredients come from elsewhere in the country, province or region.
The best seller is ketchup, which is made from Ontario tomatoes. The other variant, “Quetchup”, is the first ketchup in the province produced with Quebec tomatoes.
The mustard, sold at Costco, is produced with flour and mustard seeds ordered from Western Canada. These seeds are also used in relish old company style. The cucumbers come from the Toundra greenhouses in Saint-Félicien.
Dramatic success
With 20% to 40% growth per year, the company is doing well, even too well. The team is limiting its commitments to ensure it can meet demand. Nine products are still waiting to be launched.
At the Chicoutimi-Nord plant, 35 employees work on all stages, from production to marketing. The condiments are entirely concocted on site.
It’s only been three years. We are a young gazelle who goes fast and we want to make sure we don’t make bad decisions, explains Simon-Pierre Murdock. We have products coming in the next few years, but for now we’re really focusing on our three condiments that are doing well in stores.
Towards the American market?
After three years of existence, the company holds between 8% and 10% of the Quebec market share thanks to its presence in 2,000 points of sale. In the short term, the goal is to double these figures.
Simon-Pierre Murdock says he has discussions with distributors across Canada. It also has plans for the US market.
” We have a potential of 5,000 points of sale for Canada and in a second step, we will look at the American market to have contracts with brands to manufacture quality condiments for our neighbors to the South. Our biggest dream is the tomato house. We are talking about a 50 million project. »
Despite inflation and rising operating costs, the company did not raise prices to consumers. Instead, the team decided to increase its productivity, focusing on automating production. Although it is out to conquer the continent, there is no question for the Saguenay company of prioritizing quantity to the detriment of quality.
May the best win. We look up and focus on our strengths and not on the weaknesses of the competition
concludes the entrepreneur.
Based on information from Béatrice Rooney
Reference-ici.radio-canada.ca