Insights with Don Mills and David Campbell- An Acadia Broadcasting Podcast

Few people will be aware of Emmerson Packaging, an Amherst based manufacturing company that produces packaging for the paper goods, pet food and food markets. Nonetheless, most consumers would have their packaging in their homes with clients like McCain Foods, Cavendish and High Liner Foods, not to mention house branded products from Walmart, Costco, Sobeys and Loblaws. The company is nearly 70 years old and was founded in Saint John, New Brunswick. Its main production facility (300,000 sq ft) is in Amherst with more than 350 employees and another 100 at its Belleville, Ontario location. Their third generation CEO, Stephen Emmerson was our guest on this episode of the Insights Podcast and talks about the challenges of competing for business across North America and why it is possible to do so from Amherst, Nova Scotia, even in a capital intensive manufacturing business. It is an impressive business success story.

Millers Expand "Parts for Trucks" Nationally  Corey and Brett Miller purchased Parts for Trucks in 2017. The company specializes in serving the heavy duty and commercial truck market.  At the time, they owned the well-known Miller Tire. Working with Seafort Capital, they did essentially a reverse takeover of Fleet Brake in 2022, a bigger, western Canadian based competitor that nearly doubled the size of the company. That acquisition made Parts for Trucks a coast to coast national company. The company is headquartered in Dartmouth and is now the largest in its sector in Canada.  In this episode of the Insights Podcast, we talk with Corey Miller, the company's CEO about the company's overall growth strategy, its recent expansion and some of the challenges of integrating two companies together with somewhat different cultures and business practices. 

Higher Liner Foods is a Nova Scotia based company that is North America's largest processor of value-added frozen seafood products under a number of brands like Fisher Boy, High Liner and Catch of the Day. Its annual revenue exceeds $1 billion annually and the company has 1,200 employees. Athough it is listed on the TSX, the Hennigar family owns 38% of the stock. It recently celebrating its 125th Anniversary. In this episode of the Insights Podcast, we talked with the company's CEO, Paul Jewer,about the company's success and how it pivoted from being a harvester of fish to exclusively a processor of fish following the cod moratorium in the 1990s. The company sources 20 species of fish from around the world for its three processing plants, the largest of which is in Lunenburg with nearly 300 employees. It is yet another story of a successful Atlantic Canadian company competing internationally and generating export revenues for our region.

Atlantic Business Magazine is celebrating the 35th Anniversary of its founding by Edwina and Hubert Hutton who sold the magazine to their daughter Tonia Hutton and long-time employee and editor Dawn Chafe a few years ago. The Huttons were a dynamic force who built the Atlantic Business brand together. Edwina recently passed away and we dedicate this podcast to her memory as an outstanding businesswoman. Atlantic Business is now one of the last print publications owned and operated by Atlantic Canadians. Most print publications have struggled with the fragmentation of news coverage and the growing dominance of social media, especially in terms of the competition for advertising revenue. Atlantic Business has demonstrated its ability to adapt to a rapidly changing market environment by developing not just a magazine but a business network enterprise that has established a number of signature business recognition programs and events that now contribute about a third of their annual revenues. Atlantic Business has led the fight to highlight and recognize business success since its very beginnings. It is a great story of resilience and perseverance.

Today on the Insights podcast, Don and David talk with Dr. Herb Emery from the University of New Brunswick about the changes to the immigration, temporary worker and international student levels announced by the federal government.  The cuts are significant and could have a big impact on Atlantic Canada.  The conversation covers a wide range of topics, from the importance of setting a population growth target to the implications in rural Atlantic Canada and the many communities that have been focused on immigration to help meet workforce demand.  Will the cuts be necessary to address concerns, or will they return the region to population decline?  Listen to this week's episode to find out. 

Arguably, Newfoundland and Labrador is at one of the most consequential moments in its history.  Among its challenges, the province is the oldest in the country and some of its most important industries are facing an uncertain future.  At the same time, there are multiple opportunities for growth including new oil and gas development, mining projects, the use of wind energy to power new industries, tourism, as well as technology-based sectors. Dr. Rob Greenwood, Deputy Minister of Rural and Regional Development and Engagement, and Chief Economic Development Officer for the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador joins Don and David this week to talk about NL Futures, an initiative meant to ensure the province can prosper in the years ahead.  NL Futures has three main themes: labour market, productivity and boosting rural economic development capacity. Greenwood makes a strong case the province’s best days lie ahead.

Donald Savoie, a prominent author and expert on Canadian government, dives deep into his latest work, which critiques the federal civil service. He discusses alarming trends like the growing number of public servants while satisfaction dwindles. Savoie points out inefficiencies, particularly in senior management, and the difficulties in retaining talent against attractive private sector benefits. He emphasizes the need for reform and public engagement to enhance government effectiveness and reliability, making this conversation a vital listen.

Recently, David and Don were the closing keynote speakers at ACG's Third Annual Atlantic Conference in Halifax which attracted 200 potential investors in Atlantic Canada. ACG (Association for Corporate Growth) is the largest M&A organization in North American with more than 15,000 members. Christine Pound, a senior partner with Stewart McKelvey and the Co-Chair of the Conference was the host of a live recorded Insights Podcast where David & Don, drawing on the insights gained from more than 180 podcasts, shared their opinions about the investment environment and opportunities within the region, as well as their optimism about the future of Atlantic Canada. 

Our guest on this episode of the Insights Podcast is Nik Nanos. Nik is one of the best-known pollsters in Canada, appearing regularly on CTV and Bloomberg News to talk about his latest research about the attitudes and opinions of Canadians based on his weekly tracking polls (@nanos.ca). His research is also used regularly by the Globe & Mail. He has also had a long-time involvement as a volunteer leader in the public opinion and market research industry, most recently as Chair of the Canadian Research and Intelligence Council (CRIC). In a wide-ranging conversation, Nik talks about the founding of his company in 1987 right out of university, the challenges facing the research industry, the current mood of Canadians on a variety of issues and the most likely outcome of the coming Federal election. Those interested in public opinion and who follow politics will enjoy this conversation.

On this week's Insights Podcast, we feature a wide-ranging conversation with David Hutchens, the CEO of St.John's based Fortis, a major electrical utility in North America, with holdings across Canada, in the United States and the Caribbean. Listed on both the TSX and the NYSE, Fortis is one of the region's biggest publicly listed companies with nearly $70 billion in assets. The company reported earnings of over $300 million in its most recent fiscal year and has provided annual returns to its shareholders of over 10% for the past twenty years. Fortis was formed as a holding company in 1987. From its humble beginnings as St. John's Electric Light in 1885, Fortis has grown into an energy giant with nearly 10,000 employees, of which nearly 700 are with Newfoundland Power and over 200 in PEI with Maritime Electric. There are another 50 head office jobs in St. John's supporting their decentralized subsidiaries elsewhere. Hutcheons just announced a new $24 billion, five-year capital program for the company.  He talks about the need to invest in infrastructure to address climate change and the company's growth goals going forward. This is a great Atlantic Canadian success story that relatively few in the region will be aware of both the size and scope of operations of Fortis.