Last November the Yarmouth Chamber of Commerce presented IMO Foods Ltd.’s president and manager, Phil LeBlanc, with an award for export achievement. The presentation automatically enters the company for the provincial award competition.
LeBlanc says, “It is going well,” with reference to business.
Last year the company tripled its five-store Costco market with the addition of 17 Costco stores in the Greater Toronto Area.
I.M.O. Foods Limited opened its doors in 1968 to produce canned Kipper Snacks (herring). Over the years its inventory has grown to include kippers in a variety of sauces including tomato, mushroom, French onion, mustard, chili, barbecue sauce and more. Smoked Atlantic mackerel fillets are also produced along with herring roe and Atlantic salmon products.
Marketing director David Jollimore says
IMO Foods began promoting Kersen brand canned herring and kipper products more aggressively in the last number of years as the Omega-3 rich products become more sought out the world over. Consumers have become more educated to the benefits of eating cold water species such as herring, sardines and mackerel.
“Expansion into the Ontario market about a year ago has kept the IMO production line humming and many Yarmouth residents employed full time,” said Jollimore.
“As more and more consumers are introduced to the naturally smoked Kersen brand, sales volumes have increased as well, a testament to the quality product IMO Foods produces,” he said.
“IMO Foods has exported to the United States and Australian markets for decades, but its recent forays into central and western Canada, the Caribbean and interest from India and Australia for new varieties of herring fillets in sauce that may fuel IMO Foods next decade of growth.”
Another division of IMO’s business is packing for other companies that have their own brand names. These do all their own marketing and promotion.
One of those companies, based in Maine, orders smoked sardines in maple syrup.
