Mastronardi named Canada’s best six years running

Mastronardi, Fresh Direct Produce and Oppy are amongst the Best Managed Companies form Canada.

Mastronardi
60 years of family, fun and flavor definitely shows for Mastronardi Produce. For the sixth consecutive year, the greenhouse company is proud to be recognized as one of Canada’s Best.

The prestigious award, presented by Deloitte, CIBC, National Post, Queen’s School of Business and Mackay CEO Forums, is based on sustained growth, financial performance, management practices, and the efforts of the entire organization.

“Today’s market place is not just about financial performance; it is also about investment in the people. Mastronardi Produce invests in their team to build up a strong and stable company,“ said Peter Brown, National Co-Leader of Canada’s Best Managed Companies Program and Senior Practice Partner, Deloitte. “Best Managed companies are home grown companies making smart investments to achieve above average returns.”

For the past 60 years, Mastronardi Produce has been dedicated to bringing fresh and healthy flavor to families across the world. Most recently, the greenhouse company has traveled coast to coast on their SUNSET® Flavor Tour, educating consumers on greenhouse growing and healthy living. In addition, they have stepped up to sponsor the Leamington SUNSET® Tomato Festival, a local tradition in the community.

“We’re thrilled to be named one of Canada’s Best for the sixth consecutive year,” said fourth generation CEO Paul Mastronardi. “My grandfather always said that a meal is only as good as what you put in it, and that’s how we look at our business. Our ongoing success is made possible by every one of our hardworking employees, including those at our facilities in other countries, and I would like to thank them all.”

Mastronardi Produce has become renowned for producing flavorful greenhouse tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers. This year, they’re celebrating 20 years of their most famous product, the Campari® brand cocktail tomato, the world’s first branded tomato.

Canada’s Best Managed Companies continues to be the mark of excellence for Canadian-owned and managed companies. Every year, numerous companies compete for this designation in a rigorous and independent process to evaluate their business practices, management skills, and innovation.

For more information, please visit: www.sunsetgrown.com

Fresh Direct Produce
Fresh Direct Produce Ltd. (“Fresh Direct”) is also honored to be one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies for fourth consecutive years and reaching the Gold Standard.

“Our Team is honored to reach the Gold Standard in the Best Managed Awards Program. We have learned so much from this program over the years and it has certainly helped us generate consistent growth and improved results. Recently we expanded our product offerings to include a full line of organic produce and we built out a new packing facility. Once again, we appreciate the support from our business partners, customers, vendors, along with our staff and their families.” says President and Co-Founder Davis Yung.

Fresh Direct is one of Western Canada’s premiere fresh produce importers, wholesalers, and marketers with distribution centres in Vancouver and Calgary. Sourcing and importing over 700 conventional and organic fruit and vegetable items from 28 countries, Fresh Direct distributes quality produce to grocery retailers and food service distributors across Canada. Fresh Direct’s culture of innovation and learning is best exemplified by the vast amount of time and resources the company commits to training and development each year. Fresh Direct is also a very active member and volunteer in the produce industry and their communities.

Since 1993, hundreds of companies have competed for this prestigious national accolade. Moving beyond simply measuring financial performance, the award recognized overall business performance and sustained growth, while also evaluating the efforts of the entire organization against its core values.

For more information, please visit: www.freshdirectproduce.com

Oppy
In 2001, the Oppenheimer Group became the first full service produce marketer to be named among the country’s Best Managed companies. Today, Oppy receives this honor once again, continuing a 14-year streak of consecutive recognition. As well, the company was the named to the Best Managed Platinum Club for the eighth time.

The Platinum Club honors top-performing companies that earn a place among the best for six years or more.

“We are honored to be named among Canada’s best yet again,” said John Anderson, chairman president and CEO. “While our business model remains constant, we have grown a great deal since the first year we were chosen, and are always evolving strategically to meet the demands of our dynamic industry. Through the efforts of our team, we’ve enhanced our services, fine-tuned our product mix, and refined our nimble supply chain to consistently deliver the best fresh produce the world has to offer.”

Best Managed applications are reviewed annually by an independent judging panel that evaluates how companies address various business challenges, including new technologies, globalization, brand management, leadership, leveraging and developing core competencies, designing information systems and hiring the right talent to facilitate growth.

Anderson notes that Oppy’s expect the world from us promise underpins the strategy that enables the company to thrive in the often unpredictable climate of our industry.

“With a strong brand promise that unifies our approach and ultimately defines our business, everyone at Oppy readily participates in a ‘best managed’ strategy,” he said. “I’m proud of our team for achieving this honor once again.”

The 2015 accolades announced today recognize Oppy’s 2014 performance. Anderson points to several highlights that set the company apart last year, including leadership in the industry-wide eat brighter! program, investment in grower-partner SunSelect’s new greenhouse facility in Tehachapi, Calif. —the only large-scale greenhouse pepper producer in the U.S.—and increased volume of strategic items like JAZZ™ and Envy™ apples, gold kiwifruit and a wide range of berries.

Look to Oppy this month for new-crop, organic cucumbers from Canada, Nour clementines from Morocco, and Bartlett pears from Argentina to name just a few of the company’s many current offerings.

For more information, please visit: www.oppy.com

Red Sun Farms
Red Sun Farms has, once again, won one of the 2014 Canada’s Best Managed Companies awards. Sponsored by Deloitte, CIBC, National Post, Queen’s School of Business and MacKay CEO Forums, the Best Managed award recognizes Canadian owned and managed companies with revenues over $10 million for sustained growth, financial performance, management practices and the efforts of the entire organization.

Established in 1993, the Canada’s Best Managed Companies is a national awards program, recognizing Canadian companies that have implemented world-class business practices and created value in innovative ways. Applications are reviewed by an independent judging panel that evaluates how companies address various business challenges, including new technologies, globalization, brand management, leadership, leveraging and developing core competencies, designing information systems, and hiring the right talent to facilitate growth.

“We are extremely proud and humbled to be recognized for this prestigious award, once again,” said Jim DiMenna, President and CEO of Red Sun Farms. “This achievement marks our third year of success in management excellence. We look forward to celebrating with our teams in Canada and our global teams in USA and Mexico.”

2014 winners of the Canada’s Best Managed Companies award, along with the Gold Standard winners, re-qualified and Platinum Club members will be honored at the annual Canada’s Best Managed Companies gala in Toronto on March 31, 2015. On the same date, the symposium will address leading-edge business issues that are key to the success of today’s business leaders.

For more information: www.redsunfarms.com

For more information about Canada’s Best Managed Companies Program please visit www.bestmanagedcompanies.ca.