London Inc. Fall 2021 - 29

property is part of a special ecosystem that contains endangered species below
and above the dam. Being a responsible member of the Arva community and a
good steward of the land and business is my primary responsibility. Secondary
is commercial success. Over my career I have built value wherever I landed and
have confidence we can execute on our five-year business plan.
In the short term, what changes will regular customers see? With the
property itself, not a whole lot. There will be renovation this fall to the interior of
a building adjacent to the millhouse bakery. This will house milling automation
for gluten-free flour production and a segregated section for baking our own
bread. I'm excited to taste the freshness of our bread. Imagine going from wheat
to flour to bread within 12 hours - it will be awesome!
Inside the bakery, in addition to Tracie's Famous Scones, we will be also
offering freshly made sandwiches and made-from-scratch soups.
Inside the Mill Store, there will be subtle changes that will only add to the
special ambience Barb and her staff have created. Paper and cloth bags will be
added at the checkout. New products will be added. The biggest change will be
the addition of a larger modern cooler that will enable a variety of products that
require refrigeration, like locally made artisan cheeses.
The massive change will be online. Our immediate priority is to revamp
the website and include the more than 500 items that can be found in the Mill
Store, in addition to hundreds of other items that promote local nutrition and
wellness. Our sourcing will be hyper-local, and our reach will be local, national
and beyond.
In the longer term, you've mentioned the possibility of a winery and
using the dam to achieve carbon neutrality. What kind of timelines
are you considering? Those are both very near-term goals actually. Dr. Tony
Shaw, professor emeritus at Brock University, was here last month to evaluate
both ideas. In short, the three acres of grass on site are suitable for growing
Cabernet Franc and Vidal blanc varietals. Vidal would be our ice wine. Tony
will also be leading the effort to re-purpose our water turbine and pair it with a
generator to make our own electricity. We know there is an immense amount of
power that is intermittently available to harness. I should note both projects are
subject to key stakeholder approval, and we are transparent with our process
and applications.
In a typical week, how much time will you spend at the mill? I love being
at the mill, always have, so every opportunity I get. In reality, Matt and I will be
spending a considerable amount of time travelling to advance our business plan.
As you implement your vision, will you need to hire more employees?
One hundred per cent, and that's the really exciting part. A key hire is Dustin
Blackall. Dustin worked at the mill alongside Mike Matthews for eight years
before leaving to work at P&H Milling in Hamilton. P&H is one of the largest
flour producers in Canada, and we are fortunate to have him return as general
manager of operations. Dustin will be living on site at the miller's home. This
home in the previous century was always the home for the miller that worked on
site and it's poetic that Dustin will be living there.
Are you a baker? Do you have a specialty? I'm not really a baker; Jo-elle is.
I love to barbecue though, and I particularly love to smoke food with The Bullet
Smoker and the Big Green Egg. We love to visit artisan and craft businesses and
I must say my go-to weekend trip is BJ's Country Market in Delaware. I'm a kid
in a candy store there!
interview by christopher clark
FALL 2021 | londonincmagazine.ca | 29
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