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PAGE IO - WATERLOO CHROMCLE. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 1985 CONESTOGA MALL Vim (Near K M) ”-27“ WALLPAPER WATERLOO SQUARE Mon.oWod.-9:30 to 5:30 Wm (Nut K Mart) Ttturtr..rri.Ar:3tt to 9:00 8060791 Sit-01m to 5:30 Lineups are a regular ocurrence now at Waterloo Brick Brewing Company as the dispute which has shut down Ontario's three major breweries continues. C9mtm'e9.grtto0o 25% OFF 800K ORDERS the paint and paperpeople the paint and paper people ALL WHAT GOES IN... Mon.-Fri.-0130!o 9:30 Sat.AV.3o to 8:00 TIE No mouth W ('p,efirgP-s "that. m-mmmmq 86.21 " Jug. $4.16 ltr. bug-Inn“ 'MG, Newly Expanded Specialists in baking wheat-giutett-tree, corn-yeast-dairy-tree, sugar and salt-free "Our customers tell us we have the best wr' stone ground bread in lawn. .. We use only quality products, no sugar in our bread only a small amount ot honey and salt We also carry bulk baking supplies and large supply ot attergy-tree cook books and additive tree products. --- o" can! ”out voun manna NATURE’S OWN BAKERY Tait He explained that at Meat Connection. meat is stripped from the chicken carcasses using state-ot-the-art equipment and any waste is removed twice daily by a Paris, Ontario com- pany, "We don't kill the chickens here. I agree a killing plant is a smelly operation. but that's not The arrival of Meat Connection was greeted with protest from nearby homeowners, who "were upset that a chicken operation was going in," Koopman recalled. He believes that re- sponse was the result of a misconception about the nature of the company's business. Koopman stressed that the eompany's opera- tion is odorless since the birds are bought in "already eviserated and cleaned, just as you would buy them in the store." With "help" from the Ontario government. in the form of a loan to cover part of the $750,000 start-up costs, Meat Connection opened for business in November '83, and its growth since has been constant. "We started out promising the city of Waterloo 40 jobs. and in 16 months have brought that up to 220," said Koopman. “I think we've more than surpassed our expectations." "We saw an opportunity and we capitalized on it," said Whyte, who serves as president of Meat Connection. "The (Canadian) demand for pro- cessed chicken was in its infancy two years ago. but we could see that Canada was eight-to-to years behind what was happening in the U.S." "it was very risky - a real gamble on our part. There were a lot of personal guarantees," added Koopman, company vice president and general manager. Then, the boom in the chicken market was in its "infancy." However, both could see the phenomenal impact products such as McDon- ald's McNuggets were having on the United States' market, and they knew it was Just a matter of time before the craze caught on in Canada. Partners John Whyte and Ron Koopman were working in the Petersburg Tend-R-Fresh facility when they decided to take the "big gamble" and head off on their own. The company is Meat Connection Inc., of 620 Colby Drive, which in Just over one year has grown into the largest chicken-boning house in Canada, serving a national market for pro- cessed chicken. Molodoe Martinuk Chronicle Staff The growing popularity of chicken in the fast-food industry has meant success for a reStntirestab1isreOvattr1oo company. Making the connection for chicken demand Emu-mu mural-m W b: tho who gunman, 'rl?,),'.,',,, E ttP OFF 't.16 on. 31.53 " Goo-u.“ a "s (By-momma Involvement!) ”in." “WOO”. tretort-. 15% M Timing beautiful ouw. our“ ’34!!! The demand for processed chicken has already forced Koopman and Whyte to build an addition to their leased facility on Colby Drive. Meat Connection is currently in negotiations with "several" other firms to supply their chicken needs and Koopman expects "something to develop in the next year." If that happens, the company will have to move into a larger plant and the search is now underway for space to lease or a lot where they can build. Although the company does serve other firms. Koopman said most of Meat Connection's product will ultimately end up being served as McNuggets at MeDonald's 600 outlets. Meat Connection is currently operating at capacity in its 10,00-square-foot plant in north Waterloo. Each day more than 30.000 birds are processed, which translates to some 500,00o pounds of deboned chicken meat weekly. JOHN WHYtE" what we do here," Whyte said. "Ws not Just butchering - there are specirw cuts that have to be made. We try to convince our employees that they're not butchers, they're chicken surgeons," added Koopman. see our WATERLOO TOWN SQUARE 886-4270 COMPACT DISC CAESAR’S Selection Over 200 Titles Only ’21 .ss each 1uneJ4thteg RECORDS BINGO PALACE COME ON OUT AND SUPPORT TOUR WATERLOO CHARITIES 450 Weber St. N. 886-0470