Became a Reality

Finest Sausage & Meat

The Dream That Became a Reality

By Sandy Trojansek, Meat & Poultry Ontario

In 1975, master sausage maker Guenter Lotzmann and his friend Martin Gedja established Finest Sausage & Meat Ltd. in Kitchener. Here, they made their dream of opening a meat processing plant come to life. “When they founded the business, the proposal to the bank was they planned on making a certain amount of product, selling product, paying themselves, with no staff, then repaying the loan,” he says. “The bank approved the loan in 1975. They looked at various places, and eventually settled on this property.”

The partners began selling products in the Kitchener-Waterloo area. Guenter knew early on what his career path would be, as his father was a master sausage maker in Germany. Current owner Shannon bought the business in 2018 and has watched the business grow since its humble beginnings and has been involved in the day-to-day business for the past 15 years.

“They worked long hours running smokehouses overnight, selling product in parking lots and markets, hustling to sell and pay bills,” Shannon Desborough says. Their vision was to work for themselves and oversee their own successes and failures.” Guenter believed they would only service Kitchener, and they kept busy selling sausages and paying bills. Production has expanded since the early days.

“The production facility has grown, and we now serve all of Ontario” he says. “We have met and exceeded the expectations of the people that founded this company, and what they believed this business would become in the future.”

Finest Sausage & Meat Ltd. is a private corporation located in Kitchener, Ontario, a family business employing 40 people. They serve copacking, private label, markets, stores, delis, and grocery stores across Ontario. The business is known for its Eastern European products, dry cured and fermented, as well as their sausages.

“We do a lot of products for charcuterie boards at restaurants,” he says. “Everything we sell in our stores and at the market we make ourselves, such as deli meat and our bacon, which has a solid following. We make pepperettes, beef jerky, turkey breast, Black Forest ham, and European specialties such as Landjager, a pork-based, smoked meat snack.”

What would Desborough tell the younger version of himself? “Be true to your vision. Know your value, your mission, and vision, and stay on track with that,” he says. “Stay focused, and the work will pay off.”

Desborough also discussed how his next generation vision was evolving.

“We have worked on it for years, but we’re getting there. It is not one goal, it’s lots of plateaus. We were a small business, and now we have people in several departments,” he says. “In the beginning, it was like a one-person marching band. Now we have a band and a composer. I think we have come a long way.”

In the beginning, Guenter’s business philosophy was make and sell product, and pay the bills. It’s simple, but Desborough believes this is the framework for most businesses. creating a circular business. The program is ongoing, and we’re finishing it now,” he says. “Our biggest win was how staff was looped into their vision, and how they got the staff on board to the program. It was like a team building event for staff – becoming a leaner company to reduce overhead and waste.”

Future of the Industry Desborough thinks that the meat industry will see tighter regulations in the future.

“You need to make and sell your product, and pay your bills,” he says. “Our business philosophy is ‘don’t compromise’. If your business is making a high-end product, which brought you to where you are, don’t compromise by making cheaper products. We make high-quality, value-added products and are driven by quality over quantity. Our products are reasonably priced, and any consumer can afford them, which helps and supports the community.”

Desbourough’s personal philosophy is simple – treat people the way you want to be treated.

Finest Sausage & Meat has great customers, including private label, grocery stores, and regular customers that shop in person. “We have our regular customers who shop in our market and our stores that we have more of a personal connection with,” he said. “With some of our private labels, we have become friends.”

What Does Sustainability Look Like Desborough has reduced paper waste, moved to doing more online, and optimized energy consumption for his business. He has also worked on a program with MPO for sustainability called R-Purpose.

“We did a program with MPO and Provision Coalition to put money into our direction for sustainability and “I believe that the population will continue to grow, so we will be prepared to sell more product to more people,” he said. “We will continue to grow and reinvest in our company, and hopefully continue to meet and exceed our expectations, so one day, if my kids want to be in food processing, they will have something that they can aim for.”

Membership with MPO has Benefits Membership with MPO has been beneficial to Desborough. “I was on the Board of Directors, I support MPO and go to the Expos,” he says. “There is value in being a member, and that value for me has changed over time. For example, Daphne’s (NuysHall) position as a Technical Director is an asset to me. She guided me through regulatory details. I have become self-sufficient in this area, but still contact her from time to time. For me, it is the regulatory and building piece. That is a foundational piece for your business.”

The technical and networking components have been the highlight of Desborough’s relationship with MPO as a member. “MPO has been a very strong advocate for the meat industry, and they continue to be a champion of all things meat.”

Finest Sausage & Meat Ltd. Shannon Desborough (519) 748-9003 finestsausageandmeat.com