Michael (Mac) Voisin
From The Waterloo Way Wiki
Michael (Mac) Voisin (born 1949) founded M&M Meat Shops Ltd. in 1980 with a store on Victoria Street in Kitchener. He hatched the idea to provide good quality meat at lower prices during a backyard barbecue with his then brother-in-law, Mark Nowak.
Before starting M&M Meats, Voisin worked as a real estate broker and as a homebuilder.
The early days of M&M Meats were challenging. Voisin told a Wilfrid Laurier University audience that the low point came February 1, 1981 with a nine-hour day without a single sale.
M&M Meats has expanded aggressively since the early 1980’s utilizing a franchise concept with its first franchise opening in 1982 in Cambridge.
Voisin told the National Post that “franchisees do a better job of running the stores because they’re active participants in their communities.”
The company has twice won the Canadian Franchise Association’s Award of Excellence in Franchise Relations. It has also been honoured three times as one of Canada’s 50 Best Managed Companies.
While co-founder Nowak eventually left the business, it’s still a family affair. Five of his six brothers and a sister are involved in the business. Co-owner, Greg Voisin, recently sold his 25% stake in the company to focus on helping others.
Voisin is no longer involved in the daily management of M&M Meats but he remains Chairman, principal shareholder, and the “Baron of Barbecuing”, according to his business card. Today, the company has more than 430 stores across Canada and is eyeing the U.S. market as expansion across Canada will eventually peak.
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Personal
Born and raised in the Kitchener area, Voisin is the second of nine children in an entrepreneurial family led by property developer, Frank Voisin. He attended St. Jerome’s High School and graduated from the University of Waterloo as a Mechanical Engineer.
Awards and Accolades
Mac Voisin is the recipient of numerous awards, including:
- The Canadian Food Industry's "Man of the Year" award recognizing his fundraising efforts for the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of Canada (1993)
- Entrepreneur of the Year for Ontario (Retail), Ernst & Young (1994)
- The Waterloo County Hall of Fame (2006)
Philanthropy
Voisin is a strong community supporter and is closely linked to the Crohns and Colitis Foundation of Canada (CCFC). M&M Meats has held an annual Charity BBQ Day since 1989 to benefit CCFC, with the participation of all of its Canadian stores. It is CCFC’s largest fundraiser, having raised more than $12.5 million to date.
Voisin supports other causes including the Waterloo Region Food Bank, St. Mary’s Hospital, the Kitchener-Waterloo Community Foundation, and Junior Achievement of Waterloo Region.
References
- M&M Meat Shops, Wikipedia article [1]
