100 Years of Cooperation - Sollio Cooperative Group Proudly Celebrates its Roots and Heritage

MONTRÉAL - Sollio Cooperative Group, which includes Sollio Agriculture, BMR Group and Olymel, officially launched the celebrations around the 100th anniversary of its foundation, which will extend throughout the year. The highlight of those celebrations will be during its 101st Annual General Meeting in February 2023.

For the Cooperative, this event is a unique opportunity to recall the central role it has played in Quebec's agriculture and to showcase its history and roots. 

"100 years ago, the Coopérative fédérée de Québec was founded in response to the need for training in the agricultural sector and thereby, its emergence. The ensuing enormous productivity gains enabled it to stand up against foreign competition and open up new markets. Too little emphasis has been placed on the role cooperatives have played in modernizing Quebec's agriculture. This is a key aspect of the work accomplished by our organization," declared Ghislain Gervais, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Sollio Cooperative Group.

"Throughout our 100-year history, we have been able to hold our own in the market through sheer strength of numbers. The reasons driving us to work together have always been the same: our network is the source of innovative solutions and of a desire to act for the benefit of the community. Our cooperative model is as relevant as ever to our regions's vitality, both socially and economically, and deserves to be boldly emphasized," he added.

"Very few 100-year-old companies have made their mark in Quebec. To a large extent, Sollio's story is the story of Quebec's agriculture! The cooperative model helped Quebec producers achieve their ambitions by giving them the tools to market their products locally and beyond, receive the training they needed to improve their performance, acquire the equipment necessary to remain competitive, and so much more," explained Pascal Houle, CEO of Sollio Cooperative Group.

Sollio is everywhere

The 100th anniversary promotional campaign will be launched in spring 2022 under the theme "Sollio is everywhere", and will aim to make as many people as possible realize that Sollio Cooperative Group, along with its three divisions, Sollio Agriculture, BMR Group Inc. and Olymel S.E.C., is present throughout our society and has a major impact on our economy and agriculture, even though, historically, it has worked behind the scenes to expand its reach.

The past also speaks eloquently to the strong resilience of Sollio Cooperative Group and its business model. This is why the "100 Years of Cooperation" signature will be front and centre at the festivities, enabling us to revisit the major stages of the Cooperative's history, including the cooperatives in its network, producers and its divisions.

"Celebrating our 100th anniversary is important at every level of the company, for our members as well as our employees. Realizing what their organization has accomplished over time, and is accomplishing even today after 100 years, is a source of pride. We want to remember the full extent of the positive impact that Sollio has on a daily basis and to have it recognized for its true value. We are an agricultural cooperative. We work to promote agriculture and the role of producers. It's a way to thank them for being there for Quebecers and Canadians with their products and for their hard work each and every day," added Pascal Houle.