Canadian Retailer - Store 2016 - 46

STORE 2016 CANADIAN GRAND PRIX NEW PRODUCT AWARDS

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT

STEEPED IN TRADITION, BUT
ALWAYS CHANGING
Canadian family-run business remains thirsty for success
BY STUART FOXMAN
A COMPANY that's 104 years old, in its third
generation of family leadership, seems like a
model of stability. Yet Mother Parkers Tea &
Coffee always has something new brewing.
"Don't fall in love with who you think you
are, because you need a willingness to change,"
says Paul Higgins Jr., co-CEO of the company
with his brother Michael.
Mother Parkers provides private label solutions for many of North America's largest retailers and foodservice chains. It also manufactures its
own brands, including Higgins & Burke tea, and Mother
Parkers, Brown Gold and Martinson coffees.
In June, Retail Council of Canada made the Higgins
brothers the inaugural recipients of the Canadian Grand
Prix Lifetime Achievement Award. The award recognizes outstanding service to Canada's grocery industry.

"Michael and I consider ourselves custodians.
We want to leave the company in better
shape than when we took over, and instill the
same sense of responsibility to have the next
generation carry the mantle."

In the beginning

The brothers' grandfather, Stafford, started the company in 1912, supplying coffee, tea, sugar and flour to
corner stores. Back then, packaged goods were rare.
Stafford foresaw higher margins in having his own
brand. That was about the time his son, Paul Sr., entered
the business.
The Mother Parkers brand quickly grew to number
one in southern Ontario. Still, the company kept evolving. Paul Sr., at the helm for 60 years, saw opportunities
in catering to restaurants and hotels. The company was
at the forefront of many breakthroughs, from nitrogenflushed fresh pack coffee to computer-controlled roasting.
Today's co-CEOs inherited their father's passion for
the business. As youngsters, they tagged along to the
office on Saturdays. "It looked to us like the most terrific
playground," says Paul Jr.
The Higgins brothers began their Mother Parkers
careers on the same day in 1974 (though they pushed
brooms and loaded trucks before that). They found good
fits; Michael a natural salesperson and Paul Jr. drawn to
finance and production.

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CANADIAN RETAILER | STORE 2016

- PAUL HIGGINS JR., Mother Parker's Tea & Coffee
Industry leaders

In more recent decades, the company expanded into
the U.S., introduced product innovations like steeped
tea, and anticipated the impact of single-serve cups.
Mother Parkers devised a high-quality RealCup solution
("We can demonstrate scientifically that we produce a
better cup of coffee," says Paul Jr.), and addressed environmental concerns with the landmark recyclable
EcoCup capsule.
Affecting positive change within the communities
they serve matters to the Higgins brothers, too. A few
years ago, they launched a campaign that raised $1 million for Alzheimer's research. And they're strong supporters of Friends of We Care, a network of foodservice
and hospitality organizations (Paul Jr. is a former chair)
that sends children with disabilities to summer camp.
In the industry, Paul Jr. heads the committee that
awards the Golden Pencil, a high honour in grocery
(which Paul Sr. established in 1957). He served on the
boards of the National Coffee Association and Food &
Consumer Products of Canada, while Michael is on the
Tea Association of Canada board.
The Higgins brothers are proud of the Lifetime
Achievement Award, but say they share it with their
father, grandfather and the thousands of employees
who've also built the business.
"Michael and I consider ourselves custodians. We
want to leave the company in better shape than when
we took over, and instill the same sense of responsibility
to have the next generation carry the mantle."

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