A Winnipeg-based mushroom producer has been acquired by a large American company.
South Mill Champs, one of North America’s largest mushroom growers and suppliers, announced July 21 that Winnipeg’s Loveday Mushroom Farms had joined its “family of mushroom producers.”
Loveday is Canada’s longest-running fresh mushroom producer, started by Winnipeg bricklayer-turned-mushroom-grower Fred Loveday in 1932 in St. Boniface.
The company’s current president, Burton Loveday, said the Manitoba company is looking forward to working with South Mill Champs, based in Pennsylvania.
“We’re very happy to join the South Mill Champs organization,” he said.
“The combining of efforts will allow us to expand our capabilities and leverage South Mill Champs’ infrastructure to further support our customers’ growth and ever-increasing demands.”
In a release, South Mill Champs said the joint company will be able to expand its ability to supply fresh mushrooms to all major population areas in North America within 48 hours.
“Partnering with Loveday makes sense on all levels,” said Lewis Macleod, South Mill Champs president and CEO.
“We’re culturally aligned, operating with similar high integrity and focus on providing customers with a high level of quality and service, and employees with a great place to work.
“The geographic location of Loveday is complementary to our bi-coastal operations and will further enhance our fresh supply chain in the Midwest region of Canada and the United States.”
This isn’t the first time the U.S. company has merged with a Canadian competitor — in 2017, the South Mill company combined with British Columbia’s Champs Mushrooms.