Our story begins with a promise.
OUR PROMISE IS TO PROVIDE PREMIUM PORK PRODUCTS TO THOSE WHO DESIRE RESPONSIBLY RAISED, HEALTHY, QUALITY PORK THROUGH OUR COMMITMENT TO LOCAL FARMERS, FAMILIES, AND COMMUNITIES WORLDWIDE.
Starting with family farms and ending with family meals.
It all began with generations of family meals where farm-fresh, wholesome pork would always make its way to the table. Long, hard days working Ontario fields gave our farmers pride in the land, and in the hogs they raised. Our founders knew that if they worked together, they could share the pork that their families loved with the rest of the world.
That dream to share our premium pork continues to inspire us. We care about every part of the process, from the grains we grow to feed our hogs, to the quality of the meat we serve. Every farm is family-owned and operated and has been producing pork for decades. Today we bring the same care we’ve always had to everything we do. We came together, not only as a group of proud farmers but as a family.
- 1982Conestoga Meat Packers is Founded
Founded in the heart of South Western Ontario, Conestoga Meats begins processing wholesome, farm fresh pork in Breslau, Ontario.
- 1994Progressive Pork Producers is Founded
With 120 family-run farms working together, Progressive Pork Producers formed a new kind of co-operative with a self-sustaining business model unmatched in all of Canada. PPP farmers are all land-based operators, growing the crops that feed the hogs that they produce.
- 2001Conestoga Meats becomes farmer-owned
Progressive Pork Producers purchases Conestoga Meat Packers and becomes fully farmer-owned. Farmers not only produce our products but also own the processing plant in Southwestern Ontario.
- 2001-2005Conestoga Meats establishes growth plan
Since the beginning we have followed the kaizen philosophy of continuous improvement. We strive to understand and incorporate industry best practices into our facility. From 2001-2005 we increased production by 100%.
- 2014Conestoga Meats Increases Production by 100%!
In the last four years, through our core expansion program, best in class automation and process improvements, Conestoga Meats doubles production becoming the second-largest pork producer in Ontario.
- 2016Conestoga Meats launches a new training initiative
We have launched “Our Journey to the World’s Best” leadership training initiative to further support one of our core business values; our people are the foundation of our success.
- 2017Conestoga Meats is recognized
We were honored to receive the Business of the Year award from the Greater KW Chamber of Commerce; as well as the Ontario Food Exporter Award and the Canadian Export Business Award.
- 2018Conestoga Meats keeps growing
October 2018 saw the start-up of our new 2,400 hog capacity barn and state-of-the-art kill floor. With these updates to our processing facility, Conestoga has achieved record breaking daily slaughter numbers and is well positioned for future growth.
- 2020Conestoga Meats receives recognition
Conestoga was a winner of Canada's Best Managed Companies. This is one of Canada's leading business awards program, recognizing excellence in privately owned Canadian companies.
We do what's right, not what's convenient.
Premium quality only comes to those willing to do the hard work. We always go above and beyond to raise our hogs with care. Our hogs are raised on the grains we grow in our Ontario fields. All hogs from Conestoga Meats are raised without the use of growth hormones or chemicals and are ractopamine free. Our hogs are brought to us from farms located within a 3-hour drive to our plant in Breslau. We raise our hogs in accordance to the rigorous standards of the Canadian Quality Assurance (CQA) program established by the Canadian Pork Council.
We do it all and we do it well.
We are vertically integrated which allows us to ensure a level of quality and consistency like no other. This means we take ownership in every part of the process, from feeding our hogs from our fields to raising our hogs with care, maintaining excellent health, and transporting them safely from their Ontario farm. Only farmers that consistently meet or exceed Conestoga Meats’ stringent standards are approved to produce hogs for Conestoga Meats.
Responsibility and accountability
are vital to our success.
Our people are the foundation of our success and that’s why we are hyper-focused on safety. We have a Health and Safety Manager and team that monitors our processing plant daily. We always take a safety-first approach in everything that we do, and are proudly certified by the rigorous, above-industry standards of BRC Global Standards on a yearly basis.
We also understand that today’s consumers need to be confident in our accountability at every step of the process; from the fields where we raise our high quality grains, to the hogs we produce on those farms -- we can trace every step back to the farm where the grains are grown. All of our members are land-based, and ensure a closed-cycle of farming to raise our animals. We grow the corn and wheat to raise our hogs, and we raise our hogs on the same farms to grow our crops. It’s our way to a consistent, wholesome product that we’re proud to serve our families.
If you are interested in pursuing a career at Conestoga Meats, please visit our current job listings.
Conestoga Meats is proud to be recognized as one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies.
An integral part of Canada's Pork Industry:
Our dedication to quality and food safety is evident at every stage of production. Our hogs are raised in accordance with the rigorous standards of the Canadian Quality Assurance (CQA) Program established by the Canadian Pork Council. We are also proud members of Ontario Pork, Canada Meat Council (CMC), CPI, OPIC, and OIMP.
