| East-Man Feeds began as a
manufacturer of vitamin/mineral premixes and supplements, and as a retailer of protein
sources, like soybean meal, to be used as an additive to home ground feeds for livestock
and poultry in 1970. Incorporated by Peter H. Friesen in Steinbach, Manitoba, Friesen
brought the concept of on farm manufacturing of feed to Western Canada. Friesen's premix
was the missing link in farm manufactured feed, allowing producers to add vitamins,
mineral, and supplements to their own grain, making a complete ration on the farm.
East-Man Feeds opened its head office in Winnipeg in
1973 and with hard work and quality product obtained approximately 45 per cent of the
premix fed to hogs in Manitoba. In 1983, the company made the decision to concentrate on
what they knew best - feeding pigs, rather than branching out into the fertilizer and ag
chemical business, or becoming vertically integrated as many of their competitors were
doing. "We only wanted to deal with the independent livestock producers," said
Mark Peters, Director of Marketing. "We were anti-integration. We wanted to stay
independent. Our company is committed to independent livestock production." |
