George Weston Limited
Encyclopedia
George Weston Limited often referred to as Weston or Weston's, is Canada's largest food processing and distribution company. Founded by George Weston
in 1882, the company today consists of Weston Foods, a wholly owned subsidiary, and Loblaw Companies Limited, the country's largest supermarket retailer, in which it maintains controlling interest. Retail brands consist of President's Choice, no name, and Joe Fresh Style, in addition to bakery brands that include Wonder, Country Harvest, D'Italiano, WeightWatchers, Ready Bake, Moulin Rouge and Gadoua.
Weston’s business prospered, particularly with the development of his “Real Home Made Bread,” made from a combination of Manitoba No. 1 Hard Wheat and Ontario Fall wheat. His bakery underwent at least four expansions and Weston began introducing modern equipment to automate the baking process. “He has not spared expense getting in the latest designs of machinery to mix his dough.” . Eventually, he renamed his bakery on Sullivan Street the “G. Weston’s Bread Factory.”
Although the Model Bakery was well received by the Toronto press, its appearance resulted in a price war, apparently initiated by the city’s other bakers. On hearing that competitors were offering cut-rate bread – contrary to a local bakers’ agreement that set a standard price for a loaf of bread – George Weston left the local bakers' association and lowered his prices. In retaliation, the competition dropped what they charged at the wholesale level in an apprent attempt to fill store shelves with their bread. In spite of the price war, the Model Bakery continued to expand production such that a year later business had increased by 78 percent. And less than two years later George Weston was selling his bread to 38 cities and towns beyond Toronto's borders. By 1901, the factory’s output had reached 10,000 large loaves a day and its bread was shipped to over 100 communities throughout Ontario.
While the Model Bakery established George Weston as Canada’s biggest baker, he had already begun to move beyond bread into other lines of baked goods. By 1897, he had set-up a separate shop for the making of cakes, crumpets, pastries and buns. Then, early in the new century, Weston began making biscuits, both fancy and sodas. While the bread business was very competitive and typically low margin, biscuits offered higher margins. Within a few years, the Model Bakery had a dozen salesmen taking orders for Weston’s Biscuits from merchants throughout Ontario. In promoting his new vanilla wafer biscuits, Weston employed a form of early direct marketing. From a decorative bread wagon, salesmen handed out free samples of the new biscuits and told housewives to ask for them at their grocer’s.
In 1901, George Weston merged with J.L. Spink, a flour mill operator at Pickering, Ontario, to form the Model Bakery Company. The amalgamation soon raised concerns, though, that the new partnership would result in higher bread prices. In a letter to local newspapers, Weston tried to allay fears of a “Bread Trust” and asserted that rather than an attempt to destroy competition that the merger would reduce the price of bread by cutting out the middleman’s profit.
Weston further contended that the new venture would ensure the very choicest flour for the Model Bakery and its bread. But while the Weston-Spink partnership lasted five years, for reasons unknown it was eventually dissolved and the baker and miller went their separate ways.
The company also produced a sampler biscuit tin that sold very well, The English Quality biscuit line proved a long-term success and became the basis for the company's continued growth.
The company also made its first foray into the American market but the effort ended in near disaster. A Weston’s English Quality Biscuits factory was set up at Watertown, near Boston, Massachusetts, but after a series of missteps, that included a botched advertising campaign, the plant was closed. It was later realized that a senior manager had secretly been working for the competition. The American company was subsequently reorganized and a new biscuit plant established near Passaic, New Jersey.
The company went on to acquire McCormick’s Limited from its receivers in 1937, and bought Inter City Western Bakeries in 1938. In the United States, it expanded biscuit operations at Passaic, New Jersey, and established a new Weston’s Biscuits plant at Battle Creek, Michigan. One long-time Weston executive, Frank Riddell, observed that since nobody had any money in those days that deals were often struck with relatively little cash and a guarantee of Weston stock. In addition to a program of expansion, the profitability of George Weston Limited allowed it to establish a minimum weekly wage for its male employees in 1934.
In 1933, George Weston Limited acquired Scottish biscuit maker Mitchell & Muil Limited. The antiquated factory at Aberdeen was shut down and production moved to a new facility at Edinburgh. With modern equipment and facilities, along with a reduced product line of 40 items instead of 400, Garfield Weston dramatically lowered costs and began selling biscuits at half the price of the competition. Other bakeries followed, as Weston quickly acquired a string of bread and biscuits factories, as the overseas business began to rival that of the parent:
Later that year, with operations still expanding, George Weston Limited offered its shareholders direct ownership in the overseas venture in a rights issue that transformed the British business into a separate commercial entity,
By 1937, with fifteen regional bakeries in operation, all under the Allied Bakeries banner, news headlines back home in Canada hailed Garfield Weston as “Britain’s biggest baker.”
The post-war years saw tremendous growth as the company continued to diversify its holdings not only in terms of consumer products but also with a conserted move into retailing. In 1948, the company bought William Neilson Limited of Toronto, Canada’s largest chocolate and ice cream maker. A year earlier, Garfield Weston struck a deal to acquire a block of 100,000 shares of Loblaw Groceterias Co. Limited, one of the country’s leading supermarket chains By 1953, George Weston Limited had established majority control. Three years later, the company announced it had purchased a 25 percent stake in Chicago-based National Tea Co., a large U.S. supermarket chain with more than 700 stores. By the early 1960s, it had gained controlling interest in National through subsidary Loblaw Companies Limited.
Leaseback agreements were bought out and the company began closing unprofitable stores. Old warehouse operatons were shutdown and a new distribution centre built. The company also initiated a broad marketing strategy that saw a prototype store renovated and remodelled in new colours and a new Loblaws logo. Toronto designer Don Watt introduced new wood panelling, big moveable display bins, and huge photos of fresh fruits, vegetables, and meats. The produce section was doubled in size and moved to the front of the store. Sales dramatically increased and more stores were remodelled and rebranded. Meanwhile, a new advertising campaign featured Canadian actor William Shatner of Star Trek fame, who told television audiences to “Come on over to Loblaws” and “More than the price is right....but by gosh the price is right.” In 1974, W. Galen Weston was appointed Chairman and Managing Director of George Weston Limited, and subsequently company President.
But as Loblaws regained market share, profitability south of the border, at National Tea Co., deteriorated. A similar program of rationalization saw hundreds of National stores closed and warehouses consolidated, while other outlets underwent renovation and rebranding. By 1974, of 1,100 retail food outlets across North America, 367 stores were closed, while 81 new stores had been built. Unprofitable divisions, namely Chicago, Syracuse and California, were sold. Although some supermarket assets were lated acquired, eventually the company would divest itself of all retail and wholesale holdings in the United States.
Management continued to divest non-core assets through the decade as it shifted the company’s focus to earnings rather than sales growth. In 1978, both George Weston Limited and Loblaw Companies Limited returned to profitability and two years later Weston’s reported record earnings of $76 million on revenue of $6 billion. Once again, the company was in a position to make acquisitions and purchased Stroehmann Brothers of Pennsylvania, a baker of bread and rolls, for $32 million. George Weston Limited next made a well publicized bid to acquire controlling interest in the Hudson’s Bay Company, with its diverse array of retail, resource and real estate holdings, in 1979. But as a bidding war ensued with the Ken Thomson and family, Galen Weston walked away from the process, noting that it would have cost "another $150 million to bump our offer up again” and had simply become too expensive.
In 1978, at a time of rampant food price inflation, Loblaws unveiled a new line of 16 generic “no-name” products. Sales proved stronger than anticipated and within a year the number of No Name product offerings had increased to over a hundred. Months later, the first “no frills” store was launched, which featured No Name and a limited selection of 500 discount items. Two more Toronto area stores follow within a few months. The No Name line continued to grow and gourmet items were even added to the generic line-up. Then, in 1984, Loblaw launched President’s Choice, a premium line of private label items, with each product personally endorsed by Loblaws president Dave Nichol and promoted in the popular advertising supplement Dave Nichol’s Insider’s Report. No name and President’s Choice products would go on to account for 25 percent of the company's domestic grocery sales or double the industry average.
In 1998, the company made two major regional acquisitions, namely the 80 store Agora Foods chain in Atlantic Canada and Provigo, a 250 store chain of supermarkets in the province of Quebec. Then, in 2001, the company made a major new thrust into the U.S. fresh baked goods market with the purchase of Bestfoods Baking Co., a division of Anglo-Dutch conglomerate Unilever
, for (U-S) $1.76 billion. Bestfood, with nineteen plants throughout the United States, included such well-known brands as Entenmann’s, Thomas’ English Muffins, and Arnold Bread.
In spite of the deepening financial crisis of 2008, George Weston Limited signed two major deals. In October, it announced that Neilson Dairy was being sold to Saputo Inc.
for (CAN) $465 million, followed months later by word that Grupo Bimbo
, the Mexican baking conglomerate, had agreed to buy U.S. based George Weston Bakeries, which consisted of the former Bestfoods Baking assets, along with Stroehmann Bakeries, for (U-S) $2.5 billion. Chairman W. Galen Weston noted that the Grupo Bimbo sale represented the company's biggest deal ever and along with the sale of its dairy division to Saputo would result in $5 billion in cash on corporate balance sheets and thereby allow the company to consider future acquisitions. In 2009, T&T Supermarkets, a Chinese grocery chain, was acquired by Loblaw.
While the Grupo Bimbo deal saw George Weston Limited divest most of its fresh baked goods assets in the United States, the company still maintained U.S. market share. In addition to Interbake, a manufacturer of cookies and ice cream novelty treats, the company acquired Keystone Bakery, a U.S. maker of frozen cupcakes, donuts, and cookies, for (U-S) $185 million in 2010. That year it also bought ACE Bakery, a Canadian maker of artisan and European-style breads, for (CAN) $110 million. Most recently, Weston Foods worked out a deal to acquire bankrupt Colonial Cookies of Kitchener, Ontario - a baker of Loblaw private label products. In what press reports called "a surprise move," the company announced in late 2010 that it would pay a speciall dividend of $7.75 per share to stockholders, worth one billion dollars.
Brands:
are: W. Galen Weston
(Chairman and President), Allan L. Leighton
(Deputy Chairman), A. Charles Baillie
, Warren Bryant
, Robert J. Dart, Peter B.M. Eby, Anne L. Fraser, Anthony R. Graham, John S. Lacey, Isabelle Marcoux, J. Robert S. Pritchard, and Thomas F. Rahilly.
- the company built by W. Garfield Weston and later managed by son Garry Weston.
George Weston
George Weston , Canadian businessman and founder of George Weston Limited, became Toronto’s biggest baker with Canada’s largest bread factory. Weston began his career at the age of twelve as a baker's apprentice and went on to become a bread route salesman...
in 1882, the company today consists of Weston Foods, a wholly owned subsidiary, and Loblaw Companies Limited, the country's largest supermarket retailer, in which it maintains controlling interest. Retail brands consist of President's Choice, no name, and Joe Fresh Style, in addition to bakery brands that include Wonder, Country Harvest, D'Italiano, WeightWatchers, Ready Bake, Moulin Rouge and Gadoua.
Bread route
In 1882, Toronto bread salesman George Weston, who got his start at the age of 12 as a baker’s apprentice, went into business for himself when he bought a bread route from his employer, G.H. Bowen. Two years later, Weston bought out Bowen’s Sullivan St. bakery and began baking and delivering his own bread. His first employee was Charles Upshall, another young baker, and the two worked long hours baking and delivering bread.Weston’s business prospered, particularly with the development of his “Real Home Made Bread,” made from a combination of Manitoba No. 1 Hard Wheat and Ontario Fall wheat. His bakery underwent at least four expansions and Weston began introducing modern equipment to automate the baking process. “He has not spared expense getting in the latest designs of machinery to mix his dough.” . Eventually, he renamed his bakery on Sullivan Street the “G. Weston’s Bread Factory.”
Model Bakery
In October of 1897, George Weston unveiled his “Model Bakery,” Canada’s largest and most modern bread factory, at the corner of Soho and Phoebe streets in Toronto. Newspaper reports told of how Weston had travelled to other countries to inspect the latest in baking technology and that his new establishment represented the best of what he had seen. Not only was the factory hailed for its efficiency and cleanliness, but also its capacity to turn out thousands of loaves of bread:
Remember that bread alone is made in this immense factory, and such bread it is that has made the name of its maker famous. Over 3200 large loaves are turned out on an average daily, but the factory has a capacity of 6,500 loaves. One may judge the largeness of the business done weekly when it takes nearly three hundreds barrels of flour to supply the weekly demand. Two teams are kept busy all day Friday and Saturday hauling flour to supply the week’s needs.
Although the Model Bakery was well received by the Toronto press, its appearance resulted in a price war, apparently initiated by the city’s other bakers. On hearing that competitors were offering cut-rate bread – contrary to a local bakers’ agreement that set a standard price for a loaf of bread – George Weston left the local bakers' association and lowered his prices. In retaliation, the competition dropped what they charged at the wholesale level in an apprent attempt to fill store shelves with their bread. In spite of the price war, the Model Bakery continued to expand production such that a year later business had increased by 78 percent. And less than two years later George Weston was selling his bread to 38 cities and towns beyond Toronto's borders. By 1901, the factory’s output had reached 10,000 large loaves a day and its bread was shipped to over 100 communities throughout Ontario.
While the Model Bakery established George Weston as Canada’s biggest baker, he had already begun to move beyond bread into other lines of baked goods. By 1897, he had set-up a separate shop for the making of cakes, crumpets, pastries and buns. Then, early in the new century, Weston began making biscuits, both fancy and sodas. While the bread business was very competitive and typically low margin, biscuits offered higher margins. Within a few years, the Model Bakery had a dozen salesmen taking orders for Weston’s Biscuits from merchants throughout Ontario. In promoting his new vanilla wafer biscuits, Weston employed a form of early direct marketing. From a decorative bread wagon, salesmen handed out free samples of the new biscuits and told housewives to ask for them at their grocer’s.
In 1901, George Weston merged with J.L. Spink, a flour mill operator at Pickering, Ontario, to form the Model Bakery Company. The amalgamation soon raised concerns, though, that the new partnership would result in higher bread prices. In a letter to local newspapers, Weston tried to allay fears of a “Bread Trust” and asserted that rather than an attempt to destroy competition that the merger would reduce the price of bread by cutting out the middleman’s profit.
... we are believers in honest competition. Some bakers are endeavouring to fill the minds of the grocers, and the public in general, with the fact that we intend to get control of the bread baking business for the purpose of raising the price of bread to consumers. Now, I wish to give this a straight denial. By the amalgamation of these two concerns, the mill and the bakery, we are going to lessen our expenses, and the public are going to reap the advantage.
Weston further contended that the new venture would ensure the very choicest flour for the Model Bakery and its bread. But while the Weston-Spink partnership lasted five years, for reasons unknown it was eventually dissolved and the baker and miller went their separate ways.
Canada Bread
In 1911, George Weston entered into another merger, this time with fellow bakers in Toronto, Montreal and Winnipeg, to form the Canada Bread Company. The Model Bakery became part of the assets of Canada Bread and a new Weston’s Biscuit Factory went into production at the corner of Peter and Richmond streets in Toronto. Meanwhile, the Canada Bread partners agreed to stay out of the bread making business for at least the next ten years. With the expiration of that non-compete clause, and at the urging of former customers who complained about the quality of the city’s bread, George Weston re-entered the bread business in 1921.World War I
As World War I dragged on, various shortages arose and some biscuit lines had to be discontinued. In spite of those difficulties the company remained profitable. But with the tragic loss of a youngest son and concern that his eldest son Garfield might not return from overseas duty as a soldier in the Canadian Expeditionary Force, George Weston considered selling the company to competitor Christie, Brown and Company. A letter from Garfield, from the trenches of war-torn France, in which he asked his father to hold on until his return home, convinced George Weston not to sell his business.English Quality Biscuits
In 1922, George and Garfield Weston undertook a new and somewhat risky venture with the introduction of “English Quality Biscuits.” While in England as a young Canadian soldier, Garfield had toured the world famous British biscuit factories and came away convinced that a similar product could be manufactured and successfully marketed in Canada. In addition to importing biscuit making ovens all the way from England, the company brought master baker William Doyle from London. That year, Weston’s English Quality Biscuits were launched with an advertising campaign that included an elaborate display at the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto:
This unique exhibit is the method chosen by Weston’s to acquaint Exhibition visitors with the fact that they are now making, right here in Toronto, biscuits equal in every respect to the finest imported English lines – the standard of the world. English master bakers and English making machines have been installed at Weston’s new English Biscuit Factory, and the great opportunity of these English lines is proven by the fact that a 24 hour day production has been maintained for several weeks past.
The company also produced a sampler biscuit tin that sold very well, The English Quality biscuit line proved a long-term success and became the basis for the company's continued growth.
Expansion
With the death of George Weston in 1924, W. Garfield Weston became president of George Weston Limited at the age of 26. Garfield, who had effectively been running the company the past several years, set the firm on a path of expansion. In 1928, he took the company ‘public’ and made his first major acquisition – William Paterson Ltd., a Brantford, Ontario, biscuit and confectionary maker.The company also made its first foray into the American market but the effort ended in near disaster. A Weston’s English Quality Biscuits factory was set up at Watertown, near Boston, Massachusetts, but after a series of missteps, that included a botched advertising campaign, the plant was closed. It was later realized that a senior manager had secretly been working for the competition. The American company was subsequently reorganized and a new biscuit plant established near Passaic, New Jersey.
Depression
In spite of the Great Depression, George Weston Limited continued to expand, buying financially distressed bakeries in Ontario and Western Canada. The company acquired Lawlor’s Bread Limited (1931), Regal Bakeries Limited in Ontario (1931), Independent Biscuit Co. of Calgary (1931), Lawrence Bread Limited (1933), and Ontario Bakeries Limited (1933):
In this case, as in nearly every case where the company or its subsidiaries have taken in other plants, the company was able to take advantage of the extraordinary low price obtaining for capital assets during the depression, to expand its business at very low cost to itself and on purchase terms that are scarcely more than rental. .
The company went on to acquire McCormick’s Limited from its receivers in 1937, and bought Inter City Western Bakeries in 1938. In the United States, it expanded biscuit operations at Passaic, New Jersey, and established a new Weston’s Biscuits plant at Battle Creek, Michigan. One long-time Weston executive, Frank Riddell, observed that since nobody had any money in those days that deals were often struck with relatively little cash and a guarantee of Weston stock. In addition to a program of expansion, the profitability of George Weston Limited allowed it to establish a minimum weekly wage for its male employees in 1934.
Great Britain
The early 1930s saw Garfield Weston pursue an ambitious overseas venture designed not only to extend the commercial interests of the company but also expand desperately needed export markets for Canadian wheat. Weston proposed to acquire bakeries throughout the British Isles that would then import more Canadian grain. Turned down by the banks at home, which considered the idea too risky, Weston arranged a meeting with a group of New York financiers. Among them was Wall Street speculator Ben Smith who bankrolled Weston to the tune of $2 million.In 1933, George Weston Limited acquired Scottish biscuit maker Mitchell & Muil Limited. The antiquated factory at Aberdeen was shut down and production moved to a new facility at Edinburgh. With modern equipment and facilities, along with a reduced product line of 40 items instead of 400, Garfield Weston dramatically lowered costs and began selling biscuits at half the price of the competition. Other bakeries followed, as Weston quickly acquired a string of bread and biscuits factories, as the overseas business began to rival that of the parent:
All the British and Irish biscuit and bread companies obtained in the last 15 months in the course of Garfield Weston's large-scale British adventure are now reported to have a total volume of sales as great as that of the parent company in Canada, George Weston Ltd. Moreover, Mr. Weston told the shareholders at the annual meeting on March 28 that when plans at present under way are complete, he will have bread and biscuit companies in every strategic centre of England, Scotland, Northern and Southern Ireland.
Later that year, with operations still expanding, George Weston Limited offered its shareholders direct ownership in the overseas venture in a rights issue that transformed the British business into a separate commercial entity,
By 1937, with fifteen regional bakeries in operation, all under the Allied Bakeries banner, news headlines back home in Canada hailed Garfield Weston as “Britain’s biggest baker.”
WWII
With World War II, George Weston Limited struggled to maintain production in light of shortages that included basic ingredients such as sugar. Cakes were still made but at times without icing. Labour was also in short supply and salesmen served as bakery workers. In spite of such difficulties, the company continued to expand. In the United States, it purchased a bankrupt biscuit plant at Salamanca, New York, and acquired the Southern Biscuit Co. of Richmond, Virginia. The National Biscuit Co. in Western Canada was bought, along with Edmonton City Bakery. The war years also saw the company diversify beyond baking with the purchase of a controlling interest in Western Grocers Ltd., a wholesale food distributor with some 700 associated “Red & White” stores throughout the prairies. In 1943, Garfield Weston also bought paper manufacturer E.B. Eddy Co. of Hull, Quebec, after he purchased controlling interest from Lord R.B. Bennett, the former Canadian Prime Minister. Some years later, Eddy Paper Co., along with subsidiary E.B. Eddy Co., was bought out by George Weston Limited in a cash and stock deal.Post-war
The post-war years saw tremendous growth as the company continued to diversify its holdings not only in terms of consumer products but also with a conserted move into retailing. In 1948, the company bought William Neilson Limited of Toronto, Canada’s largest chocolate and ice cream maker. A year earlier, Garfield Weston struck a deal to acquire a block of 100,000 shares of Loblaw Groceterias Co. Limited, one of the country’s leading supermarket chains By 1953, George Weston Limited had established majority control. Three years later, the company announced it had purchased a 25 percent stake in Chicago-based National Tea Co., a large U.S. supermarket chain with more than 700 stores. By the early 1960s, it had gained controlling interest in National through subsidary Loblaw Companies Limited.
Diversification and disclosure
During the 1960s, the company continued to diversify beyond baking. Along with the 1962 acquisition of Eddy Paper Co., George Weston Limited moved into fish processing on the East and West coasts with its purchase of Connors Brothers of New Brunswick and British Columbia Packers Limited. With the full extent of the company’s holdings often unknown by even senior executives, George Weston Limited was under increasing pressure from Canadian parliamentarians to reveal its corporate structure and holdings. In December 1966, it provided shareholders and the press with a detailed chart showing various subsidiaries, wholly owned and controlled. The Financial Post newspaper led with headlines that read, "Weston group unveils huge empire." and told of how 150 Weston led companies represented $800 million in assets and some $2.8 billion in annual sales. While the extent of the "Weston empire" became the lead business story, it seemingly resulted in little or no negative reaction in terms of press coverage. Some months later, in fact, one news story went so far as to feature the headline, "Garfield Weston: Our champ at corporte empire-building."Consolidation
By the late early 1970s, the company’s aggressive expansion and acquisitions strategy, which in the past had produced such remarkable growth, was showing signs of strain. Retail sales and earnings were in decline as Loblaws’ aging chain of supermarkets looked increasingly uncompetitive. In 1972, Garfield Weston, Chairman of George Weston Limited, named his youngest son, W. Galen Weston, Chief Executive Officer of Loblaw Companies Limited. The appointment came at a time when Loblaws appeared all but bankrupt, with its share of the crucial Ontario market cut in half as a result of price wars among the major chains. At the same time, the company found its hands tied by leaseback agreements that prevented it from closing money-losing stores. With few assets, Loblaw was also deeply in debt. In spite of all the problems, though, Galen Weston felt that Loblaws had the potential to be the nucleus of one of the finest retailers in Canada. “As a 200 store chain, we didn’t look very good. As a 100 store chain, Loblaws looked very good indeed.”Leaseback agreements were bought out and the company began closing unprofitable stores. Old warehouse operatons were shutdown and a new distribution centre built. The company also initiated a broad marketing strategy that saw a prototype store renovated and remodelled in new colours and a new Loblaws logo. Toronto designer Don Watt introduced new wood panelling, big moveable display bins, and huge photos of fresh fruits, vegetables, and meats. The produce section was doubled in size and moved to the front of the store. Sales dramatically increased and more stores were remodelled and rebranded. Meanwhile, a new advertising campaign featured Canadian actor William Shatner of Star Trek fame, who told television audiences to “Come on over to Loblaws” and “More than the price is right....but by gosh the price is right.” In 1974, W. Galen Weston was appointed Chairman and Managing Director of George Weston Limited, and subsequently company President.
But as Loblaws regained market share, profitability south of the border, at National Tea Co., deteriorated. A similar program of rationalization saw hundreds of National stores closed and warehouses consolidated, while other outlets underwent renovation and rebranding. By 1974, of 1,100 retail food outlets across North America, 367 stores were closed, while 81 new stores had been built. Unprofitable divisions, namely Chicago, Syracuse and California, were sold. Although some supermarket assets were lated acquired, eventually the company would divest itself of all retail and wholesale holdings in the United States.
Management continued to divest non-core assets through the decade as it shifted the company’s focus to earnings rather than sales growth. In 1978, both George Weston Limited and Loblaw Companies Limited returned to profitability and two years later Weston’s reported record earnings of $76 million on revenue of $6 billion. Once again, the company was in a position to make acquisitions and purchased Stroehmann Brothers of Pennsylvania, a baker of bread and rolls, for $32 million. George Weston Limited next made a well publicized bid to acquire controlling interest in the Hudson’s Bay Company, with its diverse array of retail, resource and real estate holdings, in 1979. But as a bidding war ensued with the Ken Thomson and family, Galen Weston walked away from the process, noting that it would have cost "another $150 million to bump our offer up again” and had simply become too expensive.
Private labels
In addition to revitalizing the look of its stores, Loblaw management earmarked $40 million for the development of its in-house, private label program. Generally regarded as inferior to the national brands, CEO W. Galen Weston put renewed emphasis on the quality of store brands:
We found it essential to change products and services before redesigning their image. For example, nothing is more disappointing for a consumer than to buy a private label product because of the attractiveness of its redesigned label and then find that the same quality that had disappointed her previously had not been improved.
In 1978, at a time of rampant food price inflation, Loblaws unveiled a new line of 16 generic “no-name” products. Sales proved stronger than anticipated and within a year the number of No Name product offerings had increased to over a hundred. Months later, the first “no frills” store was launched, which featured No Name and a limited selection of 500 discount items. Two more Toronto area stores follow within a few months. The No Name line continued to grow and gourmet items were even added to the generic line-up. Then, in 1984, Loblaw launched President’s Choice, a premium line of private label items, with each product personally endorsed by Loblaws president Dave Nichol and promoted in the popular advertising supplement Dave Nichol’s Insider’s Report. No name and President’s Choice products would go on to account for 25 percent of the company's domestic grocery sales or double the industry average.
Free Trade
With the signing of the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement in 1988 and the NAFTA in 1994, George Weston Limited found it necessary to once again re-evaluate its asset mix. A series of divestitures followed over the next decade as the company struggled to remain competitive within a continental free trade zone. Companies that were sold off included biscuit and ice cream making, chocolate bar manufacturing, sugar refining, milling, and paper and tissue making. While Weston’s acquired the Canadian operations of Cadbury in 1987 and merged them with William Neilson Limited, after attempting to break into emerging markets such as Mexico, it finally sold its chocolate operations to Cadbury Schweppes in 1996. In 1997, long time holding E.B. Eddy was sold to Domtar in a cash-and-stock deal worth (CAN) $800 million. Meanwhile, under Loblaw president Richard Currie, the company’s retail food operations continued to expand under a variety of regional banners that included Loblaws, no frills, Zehrs and Fortinos in Ontario, the Real Canadian Superstore in Western Canada, and the Real Atlantic Superstore and SuperValu in Atlantic Canada. While the introduction of SuperCentres in Central Canada had resulted in major losses, the company’s decision to own instead of lease many of its properties gave it the flexibility to reduce operations by renting out redundant space. By the mid ‘80s, Loblaw Companies had become the country’s largest supermarket chain.Acquisition
In 1995, Loblaw divested the last of its U.S. retail operations with the sale of supermarkets in St. Louis, originally bought from Kroger, and New Orleans. In spite of the retreat from the U.S. market, the company reiterated its overall strategy to take advantage of any opportunity that presented itself:
The company is prepared to enter new markets through the opening of new stores, as in its stated plan, to enter the Quebec market, or from focused acquisitions when opportunities arise. The company is also prepared to exit particular markets and redeploy assets elsewhere when it is strategically advantageous to do so, as demonstrated by the disposal of the United States retail business...
In 1998, the company made two major regional acquisitions, namely the 80 store Agora Foods chain in Atlantic Canada and Provigo, a 250 store chain of supermarkets in the province of Quebec. Then, in 2001, the company made a major new thrust into the U.S. fresh baked goods market with the purchase of Bestfoods Baking Co., a division of Anglo-Dutch conglomerate Unilever
Unilever
Unilever is a British-Dutch multinational corporation that owns many of the world's consumer product brands in foods, beverages, cleaning agents and personal care products....
, for (U-S) $1.76 billion. Bestfood, with nineteen plants throughout the United States, included such well-known brands as Entenmann’s, Thomas’ English Muffins, and Arnold Bread.
Retrenchment
In 2006, chronic supply chain problems and the first year-end loss for Loblaw in almost two decades resulted in the resignation of John Lederer as president and W. Galen Weston as chairman. Galen G. Weston was appointed to the new position of executive chairman, with Allan Leighton as deputy chairman and Mark Foote president.. The introduction of a ‘fix the basics’ program saw the company refocus attention on food retailing, with less emphasis on general merchandising. But senior executives acknowledged that the company's turnaround would take at least three years to accomplish. Meantime, Loblaw returned to profitability in 2007.In spite of the deepening financial crisis of 2008, George Weston Limited signed two major deals. In October, it announced that Neilson Dairy was being sold to Saputo Inc.
Saputo Incorporated
Saputo Inc. is a Montreal-based Canadian dairy company. Founded as a cheese store in 1954 by Italian immigrant Giuseppe Saputo, today Saputo’s business includes cheese, baked goods and milk production, and it is the world's twelfth largest dairy producing company...
for (CAN) $465 million, followed months later by word that Grupo Bimbo
Grupo Bimbo
Grupo Bimbo is the largest Mexican food company and the largest bakery in the world with brands in Americas, Europe, and China.-History:Grupo Bimbo was established in Mexico in 1945 by Lorenzo Servitje, Jose T. Mata, Jaime Sendra, and Jaime Jorba...
, the Mexican baking conglomerate, had agreed to buy U.S. based George Weston Bakeries, which consisted of the former Bestfoods Baking assets, along with Stroehmann Bakeries, for (U-S) $2.5 billion. Chairman W. Galen Weston noted that the Grupo Bimbo sale represented the company's biggest deal ever and along with the sale of its dairy division to Saputo would result in $5 billion in cash on corporate balance sheets and thereby allow the company to consider future acquisitions. In 2009, T&T Supermarkets, a Chinese grocery chain, was acquired by Loblaw.
While the Grupo Bimbo deal saw George Weston Limited divest most of its fresh baked goods assets in the United States, the company still maintained U.S. market share. In addition to Interbake, a manufacturer of cookies and ice cream novelty treats, the company acquired Keystone Bakery, a U.S. maker of frozen cupcakes, donuts, and cookies, for (U-S) $185 million in 2010. That year it also bought ACE Bakery, a Canadian maker of artisan and European-style breads, for (CAN) $110 million. Most recently, Weston Foods worked out a deal to acquire bankrupt Colonial Cookies of Kitchener, Ontario - a baker of Loblaw private label products. In what press reports called "a surprise move," the company announced in late 2010 that it would pay a speciall dividend of $7.75 per share to stockholders, worth one billion dollars.
Bakery
- ACE Bakery
- Country Harvest
- Gadoua
- Moelleux
- Moulin Rouge
- Ready Bake
- Sarfield's
- Vitalite
- Weight Watchers
- Weston
- Wonder (trademark in Canada)
Grocery
Chains:- LoblawsLoblawsLoblaws is a supermarket chain with over 70 stores in Canada, headquartered in Brampton, with stores across Ontario and Quebec. Loblaws is a division of Loblaw Companies Limited, Canada's largest food distributor...
- Zehrs
- FortinosFortinosFortinos is a Canadian supermarket chain operating 20 stores in Ontario . It is part of Loblaw Companies Limited.- History :In 1961, immigrant steelworker John Fortino opened his first Fortinos store in Hamilton, Ontario. In 1972, John took on seven partners and opened a second store on Hamilton...
- ProvigoProvigoProvigo is a grocery retailer based in Quebec, Canada, consisting of over 300 stores and franchises throughout the province. A majority of the stores are located in the Montreal area. It is owned by Loblaw Companies Limited. Provigo is similar to Ontario's Your Independent Grocer/Zehrs banners, as...
- MaxiMaxi (supermarket)Maxi is a grocery retailer based in Quebec, Canada. It is a subsidiary of Loblaw Companies and the largest of Loblaws' Quebec supermarket chains. Maxi is the Quebec equivalent of No Frills, a chain of franchised discount grocery stores outside Quebec, except that Maxi stores are company owned. Over...
- No FrillsNo Frills (grocery store)No Frills is a chain of deep discount supermarkets in Canada, owned by Loblaw Companies Limited, a subsidiary of George Weston Limited...
- Atlantic SuperstoreAtlantic SuperstoreAtlantic Superstore is a Canadian supermarket chain of 54 stores in the Maritime provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island...
- DominionDominion Stores (Newfoundland and Labrador)Dominion is the primary brand name of the major-market supermarkets of Loblaw Companies Limited in Newfoundland. The Dominion brand name is used under licence from Metro Inc., which discontinued its use of that banner in the rest of Canada in late 2008 and has no other affiliation with the...
stores in Newfoundland and Labrador - Real Canadian SuperstoreReal Canadian SuperstoreReal Canadian Superstore is a chain of hypermarkets owned by Canadian food retailing giant Loblaw Companies. Its name is often shortened to RCSS or Superstore....
- Extra FoodsExtra FoodsExtra Foods is a Canadian supermarket chain, part of Loblaw Companies Limited. It operates 72 stores in Western Canada. Most Extra Foods stores are smaller than its sister chain, The Real Canadian Superstore, and most locations are in smaller, rural communities...
- Valu-martValu-martValu-mart is a chain of supermarkets based in Ontario, Canada. It is a unit of National Grocers, itself a unit of Loblaw Companies Limited, Canada's largest food distributor....
- SaveEasySaveEasySaveEasy is a chain of small retail grocery store franchises in the Atlantic Provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island, owned by Loblaw Companies Limited...
- Your Independent GrocerYour Independent GrocerYour Independent Grocer is a supermarket chain based in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is a unit of National Grocers, itself a unit of Loblaw Companies Limited, Canada's largest food distributor. Stores are typically operated by a franchise owner. Many of the stores were originally...
- Atlantic SuperValu
- T&T SupermarketT & T SupermarketT & T Supermarket is a Canadian supermarket chain which sells primarily Chinese and Asian foods. The supermarket chain is headquartered in Richmond, British Columbia. In 1993, the first T & T was opened in Burnaby's Metropolis shopping centre in Metro Vancouver.With rapid expansion, T & T is now...
Brands:
- President's ChoicePresident's ChoicePresident's Choice also known as “PC,” is a private label or store brand owned by Loblaw Companies Limited, Canada’s largest food retailer. As the company’s premium line, President’s Choice includes a wide variety of grocery and household products, in addition to financial services and mobile...
- No NameNo name (brand)No Name is a line of generic brand grocery and household products sold by Loblaw Companies Limited, Canada’s largest food retailer...
- Exact
Corporate governance
Current members of the board of directorsBoard of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
are: W. Galen Weston
Galen Weston
Willard Gordon Galen Weston, OC, OOnt , is a Canadian businessman and philanthropist. He is the Chairman and President of George Weston Limited...
(Chairman and President), Allan L. Leighton
Allan Leighton
Allan Leighton is an English businessman, former CEO of Asda and former non-executive Chairman of the Royal Mail.-Biography:Born in Hereford, the son of a Co-op stores manager, he was raised in Oxford...
(Deputy Chairman), A. Charles Baillie
A. Charles Baillie
Alexander Charles Baillie, OC is the former CEO of TD Bank Financial Group; he served in this role until December, 2002.He served as the 12th Chancellor of Queen's University. He was appointed on July 1, 2002 and completed 2 consecutive three-year terms as Chancellor. He was succeeded by David A....
, Warren Bryant
Warren Bryant
Warren Bryant was the CEO of Longs Drugs Store Corporation out of California prior to the retail chain's acquisition by CVS/Caremark. Hired in 2002 to Longs, he was Senior Vice President of The Kroger Company., a retail grocery chain, from 1999 to 2002...
, Robert J. Dart, Peter B.M. Eby, Anne L. Fraser, Anthony R. Graham, John S. Lacey, Isabelle Marcoux, J. Robert S. Pritchard, and Thomas F. Rahilly.
See also
Associated British FoodsAssociated British Foods
Associated British Foods plc is a global food, ingredients and retail company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. Its ingredients division is the world's second largest producer of both sugar and baker's yeast and a major producer of other ingredients including emulsifiers, enzymes and lactose...
- the company built by W. Garfield Weston and later managed by son Garry Weston.