Portrait of a business: Agri-Marché, sowing the seeds of entrepreneurship

Patrice Brochu’s Story

Wednesday, January 4, 2017
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Since 1913, the Brochu family has headed Agri-Marché, an agri-food business with five mills operating in Québec and Ontario. Combining innovation and expertise, the business has become an animal feed leader. Discover the story of this family of entrepreneurs in which the same values and a single shared vision of the future are passed on from generation to generation.

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Agri-Marché’s main line of business is animal feed. In other words, they feed the animals that feed us. Proteins, energy, amino acids… every last nutritional element is calculated to ensure animal health and optimal yields in swine, cattle and poultry.

Agri-Marché was an early contributor to the entry of Omega-3 eggs in Quebec through their work on egg fat content. They were also pioneers in the use of distillers’ grains, a by-product of corn distillation, in lowering feed costs.

From Grandfather to Grandson

The truth is, wanting the job isn’t enough; the person needs to develop a healthy dose of expertise. Patrice Brochu started by earning a bachelor’s degree in administration, then slowly climbed the ranks. Only then did he get a full understanding of the challenges and pressures of running an agribusiness like Agri-Marché.

“It doesn’t happen overnight. There needs to be a vision and a series of defined steps. It took us ten years between when the decision was made and when Dad retired,” he says.

WANT TO KNOW MORE?

Read the complete article on the Clearfacts.ca website of the National Bank.