Maple Leaf Foods (MFI: TSX) hosted its 2017 Investor Day today, focusing on the Company’s strategies to become the most sustainable protein company on earth as the path to create shared value and deliver the next phase of margin expansion.
“Our world faces enormous social and environmental issues, and the sustainability of our food system is at the centre of many of these challenges,” said Michael McCain, President and CEO. “Maple Leaf is prepared to lead and prepared to change, and we believe addressing these critical issues will catalyze tremendous value for society and growth for our company. This is true to who we are and builds on the material progress we have made over many years in creating shared value.”
Since 2014, Maple Leaf has focused its business in value-added protein and established a highly efficient, competitive supply chain in its branded prepared meats operations. This has delivered a structural expansion in its margin and significantly increased its return to shareholders, including a 200% increase in share price in the past five years. The Company has a five-year goal to further expand its adjusted EBITDA margin from ~10% to a range of 14%-16%.
Maple Leaf has six strategic growth platforms to deliver the next phase of margin expansion: Lead in Sustainability; Invest in Our People; Make Great Food; Broaden Our Reach; Build a Digital Future; and Eliminate Waste. Each of these strategies is aligned to the Company’s purpose to Raise the Good in Food and its vision to become the most sustainable protein company on earth. Some of these initiatives include:
Strategically positioning and differentiating its brands to align to the Company purpose, encompassing artisanal taste and craftsmanship, nutrition, sustainability and accessibility;
Growing its position in the rapidly growing market for sustainable meat through continued sales expansion across North America;
Building market leadership in the rapidly growing plant-based proteins segment;
Increasing social impact through the Maple Leaf Centre for Action on Food Security, a non-profit organization focused on innovation, knowledge transfer and advocacy;
Advancing leadership in animal welfare through transitioning to enhanced open sow housing, implementing remote video auditing, and investing in enrichment, humane transportation and C02 stunning;
Aggressively pursuing actions to reduce the impact of meat production and overconsumption on the environment and deliver its goal to reduce the Company’s footprint by 50% by 2025.
Source: Maple leaf