With market outlook indicators pointing toward partnerships to ensure growth, Exceldor and Granny's cooperatives are combining their operations and members in a historic alliance.

The main objective is to create a large cooperative that will be a leader in the poultry sector in Canada with operations in Quebec, Ontario, and Manitoba, while keeping its ownership in the hands of producers committed to serving their customers well from coast to coast.

The move cements Exceldor's leadership in the Canadian poultry industry with annual sales now reaching $1 billion.

The cooperative feels strongly that recent partnerships will allow it to improve its position within an industry that is experiencing marked changes and thus, to become an even stronger and more agile organisation in a highly competitive market.

Exceldor now has more than 3,450 employees in Canada and is owned by some 400 members in Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan.

"By forging new alliances with business partners with whom we share a common vision and values, Exceldor is becoming a key player across Canada, enabling us to better serve our customers nationally and to generate value for our members, employees, and partners, said René Proulx, Exceldor's president and CEO.