History
1945-1954
On March 6, 1945, the Société coopérative avicole régionale de Saint-Damase (Saint-Damase Regional Poultry Co-operative) was founded and welcomed 225 members. A slaughterhouse was immediately built at the cost of $85,000. With a capacity of 3,000 birds per day, it was the first major plant of its kind in the Quebec poultry industry. At the end of its first fiscal year, the company posted sales of $200,000. Nine years later, sales reached one million dollars and the plant became the first in Quebec to undergo federal inspection.
The Coopérative avicole régionale d'Etchemin (Etchemin Regional Poultry Co-operative) launched operations on June 4, 1945, in Saint-Anselme. Its 317 members — who focused on exporting — ran into foreign competition in the Canadian market. Through sheer determination, they managed to double their incoming flow of poultry in the first year and pass the million pound mark in 1948. Growth came to a screeching halt in March 1949 when a fire razed the slaughterhouse to the ground. Members immediately rolled up their sleeves and, a year later, a modern slaughterhouse opened its doors under a new company name: the Coopérative de Dorchester (Dorchester Co-operative).
1955-1964
By the mid-fifties, members of the Saint-Damase Regional Poultry Co-operative had increased production tenfold. The co-op was now turning out more poultry in a week than it had in a year during its early days. Methods were quickly modernized from small-scale processing to a production line and, in 1956, the plant expanded to include a quick-freeze system. The Canadian Department of Agriculture held classification classes in Saint-Damase, earning the company the nickname "Chicken University." In 1960, the company was awarded two first prizes for the outstanding quality of its roasting chickens and turkeys at the Toronto Royal Winter Fair.
Meanwhile, the Dorchester Cooperative invested over $300,000 in capital assets between 1955 and 1960, so that heavy and light birds could be processed simultaneously. A quick succession of improvements followed and processing volumes and sales increased an average of 20% a year. By 1958, sales had reached 1.5 million dollars.
Both co-ops made the list of the top 500 most thriving Quebec companies as determined by the newspaper Les Affaires.
1965-1974
The third decade was marked by the creation of the Plan conjoint de la volaille (Poultry Producers' Joint Plan) in 1971, which led to profound changes that a number of producers would not survive. The Saint-Damase Regional Poultry Co-operative and the Dorchester Co-operative were able to adapt very well to the situation and went on to become leaders in the Quebec poultry industry.
In 1970, the Saint-Damase Regional Poultry Co-operative launched the Coquet brand, an "all-purpose chicken" that met consumer needs and expectations, and quickly positioned itself as a premium quality product. Poultry production soared, mainly because of dynamic marketing and an increase in consumption outside the home.
The Dorchester Co-operative followed a path of steady growth marked by well-planned expansion and investment in new technology. The company also revamped its image to better meet the new conditions of a changing market.
1975-1984
The poultry industry continued to undergo major changes, requiring companies to make numerous adjustments. Among others, Quebec turkey and chicken marketing agencies were created in 1978 — a significant improvement for the industry, but one that forced companies to redouble their efforts to adapt to the change.
In 1982, the Saint-Damase Regional Poultry Co-operative entered the era of automation once and for all by installing an ultra-modern chicken slaughter and processing line.
True to its tradition of boldness and determination, the Dorchester Co-operative took advantage of this atmosphere of change to acquire the Montreal-based distribution company Boucher & Frères, which opened the doors to the Greater Montreal market.
1985-1995
In 1989, the Dorchester Co-operative purchased La Poulette Grise slaughterhouse in La Malbaie, Quebec, which allowed it to secure ownership of the Quatre Étoiles plant in Quebec City. This allowed the co-op to expand its product range and branch out into secondary processing. At the same time, the co-op became the first North American company to introduce a new Dutch air-chilling process.
During this period, the Saint-Damase Regional Poultry Co-operative acquired 50% of the shares in the Quatre Étoiles plant in Quebec City, therefore entering into a partnership with the Dorchester Co-operative. Together, the two co-ops invested several million dollars in purchasing new, ultra-modern equipment to break into new markets and meet the demand for low-fat products.
1995-2004
In January 1995, the two co-ops merged and became the Groupe Dorchester/Saint-Damase, La coopérative avicole (Dorchester/Saint-Damase Group Poultry Cooperative), with 260 member-suppliers. This merger gave the Group control over 30% of the poultry slaughtering, processing and marketing industry in Quebec.
In 1996, the Dorchester/Saint-Damase Group Poultry Co-operative and Olymel created the company Unidindon (Uniturkey), which specialized in slaughtering and packaging turkey from the two companies. The Group held a 32% interest in the joint company. In 1997, the Group closed its La Malbaie slaughterhouse and transferred operations to its Saint-Anselme plant, which would then specialize in air-chilled chicken.
In 1998, all administrative services were consolidated under one management at the Saint-Anselme headquarters and the Dorchester/Saint-Damase Group Poultry Cooperative took its current name: Exceldor Poultry Co-operative.
After closing the Quatre Étoiles plant in Quebec City in November 1998, Exceldor acquired the Abattoir Laurentien in January 2000. Its share of the Quebec market had now reached 34%. In 2002, the sales office moved from Montreal to Boucherville and, in late 2003, Exceldor sold most of the assets of its Couvoir Dufo hatchery in La Malbaie.
2005 to today
In January 2005, Exceldor and Olymel acquired equal shares of all the assets of Volaille Giannone Inc., a slaughterhouse located in Saint-Cuthbert which specialized in air chilled chicken. Volaille Giannone Inc. generates a volume of 250,000 chickens per week (mainly roasting chickens). To this day, its operations remain entirely autonomous.
In June of the same year, Exceldor moved its headquarters from Saint-Anselme to Lévis.
In March 2007, Exceldor continued to expand by acquiring all the assets of Volailles Grenville Inc., which then became Volailles Grenville S.E.C. With this acquisition, Exceldor is now able to slaughter, process and market more than 1,400,000 chickens.
In 2008, Exceldor renovated its St.Anselme facility essentially making it the largest air-chilled chicken processing plant in North America. A new air-chilling process was also put in place. These investments, which exceed 50 million dollars, will enable Exceldor to maximize its production in both its St-Anselme and St-Damase plants.