Give time to time

“What I wanted was a five-year period to learn the ropes and master all the tasks,” says Anne Barrette, now firmly in her new role as owner-manager of Fromage au Village . However, at first, she didn’t want to carve out a place for herself in the family business, a role that was limited to helping out on holidays. As soon as she grew up, she did like her brother and sister and left the village to learn radiology at Université Laval. She worked at the hospital for five years, filling shifts at a Mike’s . Anne, hard-working and motivated, was even offered the restaurant’s succession. A turning point, a trigger, for someone who then realized that neither the hospital environment nor the franchise would allow her to flourish.

“Being asked to take over a business woke me up,” she confides. “For their part, my parents were running out of steam and talking about transferring the reins. I was ready to carry out projects and they gave me the space to do so.” Anne stayed at the hospital for another year, the time it took to find financing, and became the majority shareholder in 2016.

A gradual transition, not without its bumps

Anne's parents bought a dairy farm in the 1990s and started the cheese factory in 1996. Her father Christian, an agronomist by training, takes care of the finances. "He's our ' dream- maker'!" Anne jokes. "But it's a good thing he's here, because he keeps us aligned so that our projects are profitable." Her mother Hélène is very involved in the day-to-day management of the business, which can cause some friction. "We're very close but we remain professional in front of our employees," assures Anne. "However, when we argue, the line between love and business becomes blurred. And if the disagreement at the office happens on Mother's Day, she still expects a gift!" The young owner laughs about it, but she also admits that it's not easy.

"I went to follow the Émergence program at the École d'Entrepreneurship de Beauce . Out of 21 students, 15 of us were from the next generation, and there wasn't one who found it easy! We often hide the difficulties of family transfer because it's important for the company's image, and because we want to reassure our employees. Seeing that I wasn't the only one calmed me down." Anne, like many others, went through therapy sessions with her mother to learn how to manage better.

Today, they work side by side in the company with greater fluidity. “Recently, one of our employees had a car accident,” she says. “We embraced each other like a mother and daughter, not like simple partners. That has its advantages too.” Hélène gradually delegated her duties: first cheese production, a long two-year apprenticeship, and little by little customer and human resources management, accounting, product development and quality control. “I took over all the tasks within the time frame I had set for myself,” explains Anne. “My mother now works three days a week and she only focuses on what she loves, marketing, which allows her to do it well. Thanks to her, we have developed lots of new initiatives.”

Growth and opportunities

Since Anne took over, the company has tripled its turnover. Growth is 10 to 15% per year. The number of employees has increased from 12 to 25 and Anne is currently recruiting two people in France and one in the Maghreb to fill the local labor shortage. There was also an investment of $1.5 million for new facilities to meet growing demand. Production capacity has quadrupled. There are more aging rooms to create new cheeses, an in-store boutique (and one online), and a space for gelatos, a new feature this year. “In 2020, we processed almost a million liters, a goal that we will exceed this year,” rejoices the new owner. “It’s certain that the next generation has propelled the projects forward, my mother would not have embarked on the move to increase production. My organic certification plan is also coming to fruition for the end of the summer.”

Outreach and agrotourism

Anne, who is used to food fairs and other promotional booths, also ensures the cheese shop's influence outside Quebec. She was in Toronto recently: "in the Franco-Ontarian enclaves, our cheese curds are all the rage, so we continue to develop! I even went with Brother Patrick from the Abbaye Saint-Benoît-du-Lac cheese shop in New York to find American promoters for our Quebec products. It was so funny to walk around Times Square with him and laugh at all the vice he saw everywhere!"

Anne enjoys selling her products, which are in every grocery store in the province. She has also created partnerships with local artisans and gives them pride of place in her shop.

Another initiative that puts the cheese factory at the heart of the region's agritourism projects: the summer play "De village en fromage" (From Village to Cheese), which is full of local anecdotes and takes visitors, perched on one of the electric bikes donated by Tourisme Québec, to taste different cheeses in several locations on the interactive map. "It's an artistic project that delights my mother, she's so happy to dress up for the occasion!" smiles Anne. "It's mostly an investment in time. She's thrilled and we're putting our company and our region on the map!" Every Wednesday, it's comedy at the cheese factory in the village of Lorrainville.