In 2018, Lassonde celebrated its 100th anniversary, a landmark in the company’s history.
The story of Lassonde is that of a family. But it’s also that of passionate people who, at a key turning point in the company, invested their time, energy, creativity and commitment. I invite you now to hear them tell their amazing story.
Consult our columns : Small slices of a great history
Aristide and Georgianna’s Legacy
Claudette Lassonde recalls the legacy left by her grandparents, Aristide and Georgianna, and the role each of them played when they founded the family business in 1918 by opening a vegetable canning factory in Rougemont.
Continuity and New Horizons
Organizational effectiveness at Lassonde means ensuring that processes and communications are as efficient as possible, explains Nathalie Lassonde. She emphasizes the concept of team and the company’s human aspect: “Our people are the soul of the company.”
Here and Beyond Our Borders
Jean Gattuso recounts how Lassonde continued its expansion by developing outside Quebec. It’s a strategy that has relied on brand acquisition and diversification into food products while remaining true to two values: innovation and differentiation.
A Rougemont Enterprise
Hired by Willie Lassonde in 1960 as a part-time accountant, Jean-Paul Barré worked for the family business for 44 years and eventually took over the helm. For him, Lassonde and Rougemont, the apple capital of Quebec, will always be intimately linked.
When Technology Meets Production
A food wholesaler, Pierre Brault’s grandfather had always done business with the Lassonde family. After succeeding his grandfather, his company was purchased by the Rougemont company, where he switched from sales to computers. He explains how technology has driven Lassonde’s business model.
An International Company
From private brands to developing its own retail brands. From metal cans to cartons. From conquering the local market to international expansion. Yves Dumont explains Lassonde’s development model, anchored in the desire to do things differently.
A Partner in Growth
Luc Provencher details the key factors in Lassonde’s success. He highlights, among other points, the medium- and long-term vision of the board and senior management, and their ability to innovate and adapt in a highly competitive market.
A Modern Organization
Gaston Patenaude is proud to have been one of the players on the management team who, in the 80s and 90s, laid the foundations on which Lassonde Industries rests today. It’s a structure that has made the company a jewel of Quebec and a leader in the food sector in Canada.
A Public company?
Lassonde first appeared on the Montreal Exchange in 1987. René Delisle recounts how public funding transformed the company and propelled it into another dimension. In the span of 35 years, the company’s value has multiplied 1,000 times!
Nothing But the Best?
Martine Girard details the issues of quality control and management at Lassonde. It’s an ongoing focus that has driven the company to become the largest juice producer in the country and to obtain the stringent HACCP certification issued by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
Sound Supply Chains
Mario Boulay presents Lassonde Industries’ supplier relations policy and sourcing strategies in the global market to ensure the availability of the best ingredients for producing quality juices.
A Plant Worker
Yvon Martin started working at Lassonde in the summer of his 16th birthday. Years later, he became plant manager. Today he remembers the production methods of yesteryear, traces their evolution and shares his passion for his profession.
Into the Decision-Making Process
Lassonde’s public relations department was “officially” created in the mid-1980s, when the company went public. Mario Allaire remembers the excitement that prevailed during this period of expansion and the experience he gained on the job thanks to the spirit of entrepreneurship that characterizes the family business.
Enviable Working conditions?
To work at Lassonde is to forge a career in a company that’s in constant evolution, with many challenges to overcome. Michel Simard describes the company culture with regard to human resources management and presents the benefits offered to employees, most notably in terms of training.
A Quebecois Business Model
André Lesage has been advising the Lassonde family for years. He reveals why and how this small family business from Rougemont became a success and an example in Quebec.