London, Ontario-based McCormick Canada is the largest spice, dry sauce, seasonings, extract and specialty foods operation in the country employing more than 600 Canadians with sales of more than $250+ million annually.

McCormick Canada is a wholly-owned subsidiary of McCormick & Company, Inc., a global leader in the manufacture, marketing and distribution of spices, seasonings and flavours to the entire food industry. Founded in 1889 in Baltimore, Maryland, McCormick & Company employs more than 7,500 people. McCormick & Company includes Schwartz (UK), McCormick Foods Australia, Ducros (France), McCormick de Centro América (Central America), and AVT McCormick (India). More information can be found at www.mccormick.com.

McCormick Canada operates two divisions: CPD (Consumer Products Division) and CIG (Canadian Industrial Group).

CPD serves retail customers with products including spices, seasoning blends, dry sauces, gravy and seasoning mixes, extracts, food colouring, baking flours, seasoned rice, honey, coconut milk, seafood batters and breadings and asian-style meal kits. This division also serves private label customers.

The CIG Division caters to the quick service food industry, snack food and industrial customers across Canada with custom seasoning blends, flavours, batters, breadings, as well as whole and milled, cleaned and sterilized spices. This division began as a joint-venture under the name Stange Pemberton in Toronto, Ontario in 1952. The McCormick/Stange Flavour Division was formed in 1981 when McCormick & Co. purchased all Stange operations including Stange Canada. In 1989, the company’s name was changed to McCormick Canada and the Stange moniker was retired.

The Food Ingredients business is a distributor of ingredients to Canadian food processors, providing a high level of technical sales support to its customers. They represent numerous principals from around the world and provide warehousing services, as required.

But McCormick Canada is best known for some of its brands, such as Club House, Billy Bee and Doyon, McCormick Gourmet, Thai Kitchen, Zatarain’s, Fish Crisp, Hy’s, Simply Asia, Old Bay, and French’s dry sauce mixes and gravy.

Founded in 1883 in London, Ontario, Gorman, Dyson & Company started the Club House brand in the coffee business, and within a few years added spices, extracts and baking powder to their product line. Spanish Olives were introduced in 1890, and by 1905, Club House was the largest olive packer in the British Empire.

In 1959 the company was purchased by McCormick & Company, and the name changed to Club House Foods Ltd.

Other milestones in the Club House brand evolution include the adoption of its unique pedestal spice bottle in 1976, and in 1990, the launch of a Canadian spice icon, Club House La Grille Montreal Steak Spice, which became an instant hit. Besides La Grille, other Club House products include a variety of Seasoning Blends, Spices and Herbs, Popcorn Seasoning, Sauces and Seasoning Mixes, Salad Garnishes, Garden Fare Freezer Jam, Extracts and Food Colours, and Baking Flours. By June 2008, the Club House brand was ranked #76 in National Brand Importance by Nielsen in dollar sales in all channel stores in Canada. More information can be found at www.clubhouse.ca.

Founded in 1958, Billy Bee Honey Products is Canada’s largest honey business with a 50% leading share of branded honey sales to retailers in Canada. In recent years, Billy Bee has developed and marketed new products using honey, including mustard, sauces and salad dressings. Acquired by McCormick and Company in 2008, Billy Bee supplies about 50% of the private label honey sold to Canadian retailers and about half of the honey used as an ingredient by food manufacturers in Canada.

The McCormick Gourmet brand, introduced to Canadians in 1964, is comprised of more than 85 premium spices, herbs and seasonings sourced by McCormick's spice experts who travel the globe to provide customers with the finest, most exotic and robust herbs and spices available in keeping with today's food trends. Several of the Gourmet products are certified by Quality Assurance International (QAI) to meet a growing demand by Canadian consumers for healthier, better tasting organic products. The McCormick Gourmet 100% Organic line of herbs, spices and seasonings includes Turkish Bay Leaves, Coriander, Cayenne Pepper, Chinese Ginger, Cinnamon from Saigon, Cloves, Cumin, Italian Seasoning, Marjoram Leaves, Red Pepper, and Rosemary from Spain, among many others.

Thai Kitchen, founded in 1989, was acquired by McCormick in 2006. For more than a decade, Thai Kitchen had been a market leader in providing authentic, natural, and easy-to-prepare Thai food products to discerning consumers. A key to Thai Kitchen’s success is a commitment to producing the highest quality products that meet evolving consumer needs. Thai Kitchen uses only premium natural and authentic ingredients, which are freshly harvested and carefully selected for quality and flavour. More information can be found at www.thaikitchen.com.

Zatarain’s is North America’s leading maker of New Orleans-style foods, priding itself on great taste, high quality and a devotion to the city’s cuisine. Since 1889, Zatarain’s has been the authority on the fun and flavor of New Orleans. More information can be found at www.zatarains.com.

In 2007, McCormick Canada purchased Fish Crisp Enterprises Inc., of Jacksons Point, ON, a line of seafood batters and coating mixes. Fish Crisp offers several flavours including Original, Garlic Butter, Cajun, Italian, and Beer Batter. The upscale Fish Crisp Gourmet Grill varieties include White Wine & Herbs, Jamaican Jerk, Honey Dijon and Maple Smoke.

In 2003, the McCormick Canada company moved to a larger 225,000 square foot facility at 600 Clarke Road in London, ON and by the end of 2008 built a new 210,000 square foot warehousing facility on Robins Hill Road in London, ON. Other Canadian operations are located in Mississauga, ON and Calgary, AB.

In 2008, the company celebrated its 125th anniversary in Canada.

McCormick will be the leading supplier of value-added flavor solutions. Building on strong brands and innovative products, it will provide superior quality, value and service to customers and consumers around the world.

McCormick Canada’s Shared Values are: Ethical Behaviour, Teamwork, High Performance, Innovation and Concern for One Another, result in Success.

Corporate Information on Stockhouse

Keith E. Gibbons President & Chief Executive Officer

Keith Gibbons returned to the position of President and CEO of McCormick Canada after serving as President, Asia Pacific. Building on his two years as President, Asia Pacific, he continues to oversee several of the Company’s joint ventures in Asia. Mr. Gibbons joined McCormick Canada as Vice-President, Finance & Administration, CFO in 2000 and was named President in 2004. He is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario and a Chartered Accountant.

© 2010 Canadian Newspaper Services International Limited