By Jon Rumley, Walmart Canada Corporate Affairs
When it comes to wheat, Canadians can get high quality flour at low prices without going against the grain. As the world’s third-largest wheat exporter, Canada is far more than a run-of-the-mill country.
“We’re milling the wheat that everyone else uses to strengthen other wheat,”
Gerald Bryson
Most of Canada’s wheat is Western Canadian spring wheat from the Prairies. It’s the preferred choice for making bread, pancakes, pizzas and more.
“We’re milling the wheat that everyone else uses to strengthen other wheat,” says Prairie Flour Mills president Gerald Bryson. “It is the best milling wheat for baking bread in the world.”
Walmart Canada has been developing strategic collaborations with Prairie Flour Mills to bring more of their 100% Canadian wheat flour to more Canadians at everyday low prices.
Walmart Canada Supplier Story – Prairie Flour Mills
“This is a collaboration that has so much potential,” says Walmart Canada senior category manager Ivo Petroff. “We grow together with them.”
Founded in 1998 by two local farmers as a farmers-owned venture in Elie, Manitoba, Prairie Flour Mills has grown immensely since they began packaging Walmart Canada’s Great Value flour in 2015.
“You have really given our brand a featured spot on Walmart shelves,” Bryson says. “That continues to be an area that is growing rapidly.”
Increased sales allowed the company to double in size, reinvest and grow. Today, Prairie Flour Mills operates two mills capable of producing 100,000 tons of flour per year, employing approximately 40 people and connecting hundreds of Manitoba farmers with Canadian consumers.
Prairie Flour Mills has been able to reach Canadians nationally by working with Walmart.
“Walmart has been instrumental in the growth of our brand in Canada,” Bryson says. “This mill was built to service the local market, but we found our opportunity with Walmart in the national market.”
“We’re developing our own ecosystems while delivering for our customers,” Petroff says. “We want save money, live better to have a real meaning.”
It’s not just about supporting local farmers, it’s also about creating more options for Canadians.
In 2019, Prairie Flour Mills worked with Walmart Canada on launching their own national brand of all-purpose flour, which can be found in stores across Canada. Walmart helped with the branding of this new product, creating new opportunities to compete nationally.
“We see it as an incredible opportunity to promote our brand,” Bryson says. “To give an independent flour mill like ours the opportunity to participate on a national level is important and appreciated.”
When Canadians can buy Canadian-made products at affordable prices, Canadians win.
“We are creating value and creating alternatives,” Petroff says. “We give market power to farmers. What’s better than supporting Canadian farmers?”
