Why did H.J. Heinz choose Leamington, Ont., as the birthplace of Heinz Canada?
JP: Actually, what most people don’t know is Heinz originally had an operation in Burlington, Ont., but he soon realized it wasn’t going to be big enough. FSN: How many stock keeping units (SKUs) does Heinz Canada produce annually? JP: We produce 1,400 SKUs in our three key categories: ketchup and condiments; convenience meals, which includes soups, beans, frozen or chilled products and dressings; and infant feeding, from formula to jarred cereals to infant snacks. FSN: What is Heinz’s acquisition mantra? JP: We don’t acquire businesses to run them. We acquire them to grow them. Take Renée’s Gourmet, which we purchased in November 2006. Renée herself is still very involved in all new product development from a flavour perspective. PP: Inorganic growth is not something we rely on too heavily. We focus on our core portfolio – what we had before the acquisition – and continuously try to improve the metrics on the brands we run. FSN: Heinz launched its Red Thai sauce to food service in sum
