One major player in Canada’s pulse processing sector won’t be going down the same road as its competition by merging with another business or becoming a publicly traded company.
“We’re a family business and we still view the family business and small to medium enterprise as the fabric of this nation,” said Greg Simpson, president of Simpson Seeds.
“We just want to see our company family owned and held. We’re not about market share and becoming biggest. That’s not the end game for us. I’m thinking about my grandson.”
Read Also
Interest in biological crop inputs continues to grow
It was only a few years ago that interest in alternative methods such as biologicals to boost a crop’s nutrient…
Simpson Seeds of Moose Jaw, Sask., owns four processing plants, including a recently constructed red lentil splitting facility.
The company has no intention of giving up its autonomy to compete with the publicly traded Alliance Grain Traders and the newly formed Legumex Walker Inc., which was created by the merger of Roy Legumex and Walker Seeds.
“We still believe that there’s a meaningful place for people to operate family-owned enterprises,” said Simpson.
Some industry observers have suggested that if Alliance wants to survive, it should follow the footsteps of its competitors.
Simpson has no doubt that the business he owns with his brothers, Tom and John, can survive and thrive in the face of competition from companies that have leapfrogged his firm in size and scope.
Legumex Walker owns nine processing plants and hopes to build a $109.6 million canola processing facility in Washington state, while Alliance operates 25 facilities in five countries.
“We’ve been here for 33 years and we expect to be here for the next 33,” said Simpson.
As well, there will always be a family component to the business. The company employs six members of the next generation of the Simpson clan.
“We’re mentoring them. There’s management succession going on and training and they’re doing a fantastic job in their respective roles within the company,” he said.
Simpson Seeds was not part of the merger discussions between Roy Legumex and Walker Seeds, but it doesn’t mean the company is standing pat.
It plans to build another red lentil splitting plant and there could be further growth through expansion projects and acquisitions.
However, it will be done with the goal of one day passing the torch to the next crew of Simpsons.
“I believe in a legacy and I believe in the next generation,” he said.
“I think that’s just a fundamental value that we uphold in our company and in our family.”
———
access=subscriber section=news, crops, none
