A homegrown success celebrated its 50th anniversary in Abbotsford on June 27.
A community barbecue attended by 300 staff, growers, partners and dignitaries celebrated the origins and evolution of TerraLink Horticulture Ltd., which has evolved from a local supplier to a regional powerhouse serving growers across Western Canada and the Pacific Northwest.
To mark its growth, TerraLink contributed $50,000 to food banks in BC and Alberta.
“TerraLink has seen a tremendous transformation through its five decades,” says Matt Thurston, who succeeded vice-chair Stan Loewen as CEO last year. “We are proud to give back to the communities that have supported us through these years as we continue to build a legacy of generational growth.”
Founded in Abbotsford as Coast Agri in 1973, TerraLink adopted its current name after it was spun out of Agro Pacific Industries Ltd. (formerly the East Chilliwack Fruit Growers Co-op) following Agro Pacific’s collapse under $33 million in debt related to a foray into feed for farmed salmon.
Acquired by private equity firm Triwest Capital Partners in October 2000, TerraLink expanded its product line, distribution capabilities and value-added services to become one of BC’s largest farm supply businesses.
Triwest sold the business to Stern Partners Inc. of Vancouver in January 2009, and its growth continued. It now employs 148 people serving 7,000 customers from offices in Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Delta, Kelowna and Airdrie, holding what it describes as “a commanding presence” supplying commercial greenhouses, turf, nursery, ornamental, forestry, landscaping and organic operations as well as garden centres.
“Through utilizing its generational knowledge and local perspectives, TerraLink has created value-added solutions for its stakeholders,” TerraLink said in a statement. “TerraLink has been a driving force in championing the advancement of growers for the past five decades, and will continue to be for a long time to come.”
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