From the Ground Up - McCain Foods Limited

chaPTer eIghT
A World of ChAnge
The McCain brothers were ambitious from the start. But even they could not have
imagined, back in 1957, that McCain Foods would one day own fifty-seven factories
around the world, including one in China. In 1957, when they launched the company,
China was a closed society and a declared enemy of Western capitalism.
The opening of China and its rapid economic growth is just one of the dramatic
changes that have transformed the world since production began in Florenceville
fifty years ago. As the world has changed, so has McCain Foods. Not only has it expanded
globally but, in the global village of 2007, the world has come to it, which is
why McCain Foods in Canada produces Asian specialities and pizza, a dish that was
unknown in most of North America in 1957.
No one can predict the future with certainty. The only certainty is that change will
continue to occur and at a faster pace than ever. Companies that can adapt to change
will succeed, while those that can’t will fail.
Economic development in China, India, and other parts of the developing world
present huge opportunities for McCain Foods, as millions more people will want
– and be able to afford – the convenience of frozen foods.
But while some changes present opportunities to exploit, others offer challenges
to overcome. Like all food companies, McCain has to respond to the greater concern
and sophistication among consumers about issues of health and nutrition. As
the thinking of consumers evolves, so do their product preferences. In addition, the
worldwide phenomenon of population aging is transforming consumer behaviour.
As the eldest members of the North American baby boom approach retirement age,
that trend will intensify. Consolidation within the food industry presents yet another
challenge. Finally, McCain’s agronomists have to anticipate the possible impact of
climate change, especially as it may affect crops in some regions.
a world of change
FACING PAGE: Irrigating a
potato field in western Canada.
McCain’s agronomists help
growers use water as efficiently
as possible.
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