PACKAGING FOR FRESHNESS
(From left) Canada Meat Group founder and president Oleksandr Zahrebelnyi; vice-president of business development Dmitry Korotkih; and vice-president of finance Ievgen Zaitsev.
THE PRIMAL INSTINCTS Vast industry experience and relentless focus on high product quality help upstart meat processor lay down a solid foundation for future growth By Andrew Snook Photos by Patrick Gilbert
CANADIANPACKAGING.COM
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hen Oleksandr Zahrebelnyi made the decision to move to Canada from Ukraine just over three years ago to start up Canada Meat Group (CMG), there was no way for him to foresee some of the major hurdles that lay ahead for him. Fortunately, the company’s president and founder had a well laid-out plan and the necessary work experience to make his venture a success. “We used to have a meat processing plant and slaughterhouse in Ukraine. Three years ago, we decided to relocate our business because we understood at that moment the difference in quality of
Canadian beef,” he says. Many of the products Zahrebelnyi was producing in his home country were also halal-certified, and he saw Canadian beef as a good opportunity to build on this business. “It was very important to source to high-quality beef for our customers,” he says. Zahrebelnyi took his time and did some research, travelling to Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario to look for an ideal place to build his new meat processing plant. He ended up making North Bay, Ont., his new base of operations after meeting with a representative from the city’s office of economic development. “He helped us find land in an industrial park, and that was a start,” Zahrebelnyi recalls. April 2022 · CANADIANPACKAGING
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