Vic Fremlin is a dairy farmer in the Sault Ste. Marie area and owner of Lock City Dairies. In this interview, Vic shares a classic David and Goliath story about the struggle to establish a local dairy and get its products on the shelves of grocery stores in the city.
The struggle dates back to 1991 when Beatrice Foods closed its dairy in Sault Ste. Marie and began supplying the city from Sudbury. The closure resulted in a loss of jobs and forced dairy farmers to ship their milk to Sudbury for processing.
Vic stepped forward with the idea of starting a locally owned dairy, but it took several years to secure the necessary approvals, build the dairy and get its products on the shelves.
Lock City Dairy broke into the market with one convenience story. All of the other retailers were scared because Beatrice warned them they would no longer supply them with product if they carried Lock City Dairy’s milk. It took two years to get into eight stores and longer than that to win access to the supermarket chains. In fact, some supermarkets in Sault Ste. Marie to this day refuse to carry Lock City Dairy’s milk in cartons.
Lock City Dairy has gone from a market share of zero to 60 per cent through a combination of Vic’s persistence and the loyalty of local consumers.
Lock City Dairy earned consumer loyalty through a series of initiatives in support of the community. For example, when the City cancelled a Canada Day fireworks show, Vic stepped in with a donation of $12,000 to make it happen. The dairy supports a local soup kitchen and turns tears into smiles by purchasing bikes for kids who had theirs stolen.
Vic never had to spend much money on advertising because the David and Goliath story was often in the news.
In this interview, Vic offers some advice about what governments need to do to promote agriculture in Northern Ontario and help farmers get their products on grocery store shelves.