BeeMaid Honey - The Canadian Business Journal

NAME OF COMPANY
www.website.com
BeeMaid
Honey
www.beemaid.com
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BeeMaid Honey
Sweetening th
CB
FOOD & DRINK
he beekeeping pot
Honey is one of nature’s sweetest gifts to the human
palate. BeeMaid Honey is a 100 per cent pure Canadian
tradition and has been delivering only the highest-quality
honey to consumers. What makes this highly recognizable
brand truly unique is that there are two cooperatives
behind it—the Manitoba Cooperative Honey Producers
and the Alberta Honey Producers Co-operative. Members
are the actual beekeepers who raise the colonies, and these
important people are also the co-owners of the BeeMaid
brand. This issue, the Canadian Business Journal explores
this successful business model and its plans for the future.
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FOOD & DRINK • BeeMaid Honey
The Manitoba Honey Cooperative has been
around since 1938, organised by a committee of
Miles, Manager of the Manitoba Cooperative.
The Manitoba Cooperative, in conjunction
the Manitoba Beekeepers Association to help bet-
with the Alberta Cooperative, operates a brand
ter organize a struggling industry. Beekeepers at
called BeeMaid Honey. The honey is sourced 100
that time were responsible for their own packing
per cent from Canadian beekeepers who are
and marketing, and the industry was experienc-
members—the only honey brand in Canada that
ing an influx of product at the end of every sum-
can make this claim. Its highly recognizable bee-
mer. The need for an organized, collective effort
shaped bottle and other supplementary products
prompted beekeepers to combine forces and bet-
such as creamed honey have a solid place in the
ter market their high-quality honey products. The
Canadian food market.
effort, without a doubt, has been a success. In its
early days, the intake order was about 600,000
Cooperative management style
pounds of honey. “Today we are taking in 8 to 9
The Manitoba Cooperative has a number of criti-
million pounds in an average year,” says Karen
cal roles. “Definitely having orderly marketing is a
APRIL 2011 • The Canadian Business Journal
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huge thing and helps everyone as a whole,” says
chase such materials. The BeeMaid brand sup-
Miles. The regulation of the market is important
plies drums to its members, who can reuse them
in keeping the price steady throughout the year.
each year, in an effort to remain as environmental-
There is also the added benefit of having honey
ly conscious as possible. The Manitoba Coopera-
packed and marketing with the BeeMaid brand
tive also, under the direction of Miles, operates a
name. This, as Miles explains, is a major reason
store where it sells all equipment and supplies to
that beekeepers want to join the cooperative.
the beekeeping industry overall.
“The BeeMaid name has a reputation which al-
BeeMaid places a great deal of pride on be-
lows members to expand outside of Canada and
ing truly 100 per cent pure Canadian honey. “As
the U.S. and this is something some producers on
we are owned by the beekeepers, those kinds of
their own wouldn’t have access to,” says Miles.
things are an advantage and there is no other
There is also the cost benefit of having drums
packer that can say that…our members are pro-
and equipment supplied by the BeeMaid brand,
ducers, they own the company and they have a
a notable savings for beekeepers who must pur-
stake in this,” explains Miles. “This is huge.
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FOOD & DRINK • BeeMaid Honey
It is very important to them to make sure they are
providing their quality products.”
we,” says Miles. “They both go hand-in-hand.”
BeeMaid is also proud of its fiftieth-anniversary scholarship fund, established in 2004 to help
Research, development, and social
initiatives
the children and grandchildren of BeeMaid em-
Research and development is an important part
program to provide funding for any area of apicul-
of any agricultural industry and BeeMaid sup-
ture or pollination research, and proposals are
ports the continual progression of the industry
submitted to a dedicated team. “We are extremely
by whatever means possible. “When you sup-
proud of these,” says Miles.
ployees with post-secondary studies. It also has a
port research that supports healthy colonies
industry-wide, it is also going to benefit us back
Future growth plans
here, of course, because our members are
The BeeMaid Honey brand has a long history in
beekeepers—so what is good for the industry is
Canada and the organization has no plans of
good for us. When the industry is strong, so are
slowing down. So what does the future hold for
APRIL 2011 • The Canadian Business Journal
this proud Canadian enterprise? “On the Bee-
Honey. This will mean that BeeMaid product is
Maid side we are looking to become the leading
recognizable and registered as totally 100 per
national packer in Canada,” says Miles, “This
cent traceable from hive to home.
is a goal we have set for ourselves. BeeMaid is
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The beekeeping industry has come a long way
already a leader in Western Canada but would
since the beginnings of the Manitoba Honey Co-
like to expand that market share coast to coast.
operative. The BeeMaid brand will continue to be
BeeMaid is also seeking an increased presence
a proud Canadian staple for many years. “Our lon-
in International markets.
gevity is a real success for us,” says Miles. “We’ve
“On the Cooperative side we’re looking for
been here since 1938 and we still have continued
our members become registered with the Cana-
interest in people becoming beekeepers and be-
dian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) by the end of
coming members, which is great to see.” CB
2013,” says Miles. This voluntary registration is
being encouraged as another marketing tool that
will prove to the public the quality of BeeMaid
www.beemaid.com
AS SEEN IN THE APRIL 2011 ISSUE
OF THE CANADIAN BUSINESS JOURNAL