Charles E. Frosst, manufacturing pharmacist, and founder of Charles E. Frosst & Co.

Charles Frosst was born in Richmond, Virginia in 1867. A serious man, stern at times, lttle is recorded about his childhood or formal schooling. At age 25 he arrived in Montreal, Quebec to work as a salesman for American-based pharmaceutical supplier, Henry Wampole Company.

At age 32, Charles felt he had learned enough about the pharmaceutical trade to risk his name and limited assets and, in 1899, he founded his own company. Driven by a determination to make the Charles E. Frosst & Co. respected and successful, Charles developed his own formulas and acted as his own salesman. By necessity, he often designed the machinery needed to manufacture his products.

Pharmaceutical research and product development were priorities for Charles as he strove to replace old-time remedies with finished products. He received the first Canadian license, in 1928, to manufacture and sell synthetic Vitamin D2. Frosst’s development of the formulas for the well-known 222 and 292 tablets, revolutionized the industry.

Charles, and his three sons, worked together through two decades of major growth. Their multi million dollar enterprise employed hundreds of people. In the 1940’s, research expanded into products that would fight against bacterial infections and into veterinary medicines.

Charles retired in 1943 at age 76. In 1959, under the management of his sons, the company was listed on the Montreal and Toronto Exchanges. Six years later, American pharmaceutical giant Merck & Company took control. Merck-Frosst Canada remains a leading, fully integrated multi-national pharmaceutical company.

Frank H. Sherman moved to Hamilton, Ontario where his uncle and father had established a small foundry to produce steel castings for the rail industry. Frank joined Dofasco in 1939 with a degree in metallurgy from Queen’s University. During the war years he was largely responsible for the development and operation of the Company’s armaments department.

Frank Sherman rose quickly through the ranks. By 1949 he was Vice President and Works Manager – ten years later he was named President and General Manager. Frank took naturally to the Dofasco tradition of hands-on management. Like his uncle and father before him, he spent much of his time walking the floor of the mills and processing lines, observing and listening to his employees.

Under Frank Sherman’s guidance, Dofasco grew to a leadership position in the development and production of new products – but it was done without fanfare. Frank’s style was quiet. He always considered decisions carefully. He expected others to do the same, and admonished his managers to be sensitive to how their decisions would affect the people at Dofasco.

Henri Perron was a Quebec forestry entrepreneur who founded J.H. Normick and Co.

Born in La Mauricie area of Quebec in 1888, Henri spent most of his youth working as a farm hand in summer and as a lumberjack in winter. He launched his forestry career in 1912 with the purchase of government land at La Sarre in the Abitibi Temiscamingue region. He was a pioneer who quickly established himself as a hard working and fair jobber, a trade that hired workers for others.

By 1925, Henri was experiencing harsh conditions associated with opening up the virgin Quebec forests to commerce. When the Depression hit, he turned to horse trading to supplement his income.

At age 50 his dream of success was helped along when he became a logging contractor. His first sawmill, at the end of a trail in Val-Paradis, Quebec, opened the province and Henri to the many benefits that would follow. He innovated the process or recuperating waste poplar wood to manufacture plywood from the region’s abundance of Aspen trees.

By 1957, Henri and his four sons were partners in the family owned business, J.H. Normick and Co. Together, they spent the next 20 years building a forest products empire. The company became the largest poplar plywood manufacturer in Canada. Under the Normick banner, Henri’s factories and sawmills employed thousands of people.

Henri Perron participated in the birth and expansion of the Abitibi region and development of northern Ontario. A biographer wrote, “he was a man of subtle character who never completely revealed himself.”

Paul Paré spent most of the Second World War in the Navy. Discharged with the rank of Lieutenant-Commander he went on to McGill Law School. After graduation in 1949, he joined the law department of Imperial Tobacco. A quick study, hard worker, and a natural born marketer, he was soon appointed Assistant to the President.

His abilities were also noticed by Imperial’s competitor – Canadian Tabacofina. In 1962, Tabacofina sold its Canadian subsidiary to Phillip Morris. Imperial invited Paul back into the fold. In 1964, Paul Paré was elected to Imperial Tobacco’s Board. Soon after his arrival, Paul was appointed to the position of Executive Vice President. In the same year, after release of the U.S. Surgeon General’s report, Paul was convinced that the industry’s long term growth was in jeopardy. He pushed for diversification, i.e. the company was moving to food business. Imperial acquired S&W Fine Foods, Progresso Food, Grissol, and Unico. Paul Paré was appointed President and CEO of Imasco in 1969.

Among Paul’s greatest contributions are his high standards of business acumen, ethical practice and good citizenship. He exemplifies those qualities to this day.

Dr. Norman B. Keevil founded Temagami Mining Co. after discovering one of the highest grade copper deposits in Northern Ontario. A geologist and mining giant, he pioneered airborne geophysical techniques to mineral exploration.

Born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Norman spent the Depression years pioneering mapping in the Prairies and Northwest Territories. That experience piqued a life long interest in geology. A doctorate from Harvard in 1937 and post doctoral research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology preceded his teaching of geophysics at the University of Toronto. In the 1940’s, while still teaching, Dr. Keevil became a consultant to the mining industry during the post war exploration frenzy.

In 1946 he became a full time consultant in mining geophysics. An entrepreneur with a keen mind, he was first to apply submarine aeromagnetic tracking techniques to finding mineral deposits. In 1954 while conducting an airborne survey with partner Dominion Gulf Company, a copper deposit was found in the Lake Temagami region. When Dominion chose not to explore, Norman independently revisited the site and found one of the richest copper strikes in Canadian mining history.

Temagami was incorporated in 1954 and Norman spent the next several years acquiring control of young mining companies. The mid 1980’s brought mergers with the industry giants, Tech-Hughes Gold Mines Ltd. and Cominco Ltd. His business operations, with earnings in the millions, were involved in minerals, oil and natural gas. His company, Moli Energy, developed the world’s first rechargeable lithium battery.

When asked, Dr. Keevil offered his keys to success, “enjoy hard work, act quickly, inspire and encourage those with whom you work.”

Edouard Lacroix was a lumber industrialist who founded Maison Edouard Lacroix et Frères Limitée.

Twelve year old Edouard left his Quebec home to work in the U.S. lumber camps along the Maine border. Intrigued by what he saw, he learned all he could about lumber cutting rights, custom laws and building wooden roads.

Returning to St. George in 1905, Edouard worked for a lumber company until forming la Maison Edouard Lacroix in 1911. Shortly after its opening, his first saw mill in Cochrane, Ontario was destroyed by fire. Undaunted, Edouard was back in business a few months later, this time in partnership with his brothers. Edouard’s many contacts from his lumber camp days brought much of the early business to Maison Edouard Lacroix et Frères Limitée.

By 1918 Lacroix’s company owned three saw mills. His reputation for solving problems helped Edouard win choice contracts to haul pulpwood from mountainous U.S. border areas. His inventive solutions included development of a rough terrain card and canal like sluices for transporting wood over uneven land. He also introduced caterpillar type tractors to the industry.

With his forest investments prospering, Edouard expanded his holdings through partnerships with existing pulp and paper companies throughout eastern Canada. Never indifferent to others’ needs, he built a woolen mill in St. George to create jobs for the depressed region. In 1933 he founded his New York based Port Royal Shipping company. During this period of growth, Edouard actively pursued his political interests, serving as a member of Parliament in Ottawa.

Edouard Lacroix was one of Canada’s forestry pioneers whose entrepreneurial undertakings employed thousands.

Murray B. Koffler is best known for creating the Canadian pharmacy retailer, Shoppers Drug Mart. Born in Toronto, Ontario in 1924, Koffler took over his father’s two drug stores when he was just twenty years old. He would eventually develop the family business into the largest drug store chain in Canada and one of the most recognized names in Canadian retailing.

“I disliked the business in those days,” Koffler said, referring to the 1920s. “We were like a general store. We sold a bit of everything. We had a soda fountain and a grill – and delivered – even when people called in just for a pack of cigarettes and a carton of Coke.” Graduating from The Ontario College of Pharmacy, Koffler set out to create the kind of drug store he envisioned. At considerable risk to the business, he got rid of the soda fountain and free delivery and moved the dispensary to the front of the store. He also created a new name – Koffler’s Drug Store became Shoppers Drug Mart, projecting an image of value and economy to customers. The store was converted to self serve, a technique that was soon copied by pharmacies across the country.

Murray Koffler has always shared his success with the multi ethnic and racial communities of his native Toronto. His work in the community has resulted in the formation of the Canadian Council of Drug Abuse, Canadian Council for Native Business, as well as the founding of the University of Toronto’s Koffler Institute for Pharmacy Management. He has also contributed significantly to Israel’s Weizmann Institute of Science.

Appointed a Member of the Order of Canada in 1977, Koffler was promoted to Officer in 1995. He was awarded the Order of Ontario in 1992. He also received the Distinguished Canadian Retailer of the Year Award in 1986, presented by the Retail Council of Canada. The Murray Koffler Urologic Wellness Centre at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto is named in his honour.

Still going strong, Shoppers Drug Mart celebrated the opening of its 1,000 store in April 2007. According to Koffler, “What is most rewarding is that every store…approach customer service the same way we did 45 years ago: personally, professionally and with a true commitment to every person that walks through the door.”

Ray D. Wolfe was an innovative food industry wholesaler-retailer who transformed The Oshawa Group Limited into one of Canada’s largest distributors of food and pharmaceuticals.

Ray was born in 1917 and was introduced to the wholesale food business by his father and uncle, founders of Ontario Produce. In 1940 he joined the family operation and worked as General Manager before entering military service.

The post war years were difficult for Ontario Produce as larger grocery chains bypassed the wholesalers. In 1949 Ray offered his independent dealers a broader product line through the acquisition of distributor, Oshawa Wholesale Ltd. Two years later came a partnership with Chicago-based Independent Grocers Alliance (IGA). This alliance introduced to Canada the revolutionary idea of franchising. The move gave Oshawa’s independent owner-managers an IGA franchise that had all the advantages of the larger chains.

In 1961 Oshawa expanded further, introducing Canada’s first discount supermarket, Food City. It was the beginning of a growth period that brought acquisitions in Atlantic Canada, Quebec and west to Saskatchewan. Ray’s inventive approach to Oshawa’s ongoing challenges included entry into merchandise retailing. He introduced the Towers department stores and acquired the pharmaceutical Boots Drugmarts, now called Pharma Plus.

Ray presided over The Oshawa Group for 40 years. His sound, conservative management never lost sight of Oshawa’s central core, the wholesaler-retailer alliance. His entrepreneurial spirit was the ideal partner for independent grocers willing to carve their own niche. The Oshawa Group continues to be one of Canada’s most successful companies, with revenues in the billions.

Sonja I. Bata was born in Switzerland, where she studied architecture at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology. Marrying shoe-factory owner Thomas J. Bata in 1946, Sonja soon became actively involved in her husband’s company. Side by side, the couple succeeded in rebuilding Thomas’ late father’s organization and turning it into a globally recognized footwear business. It’s approximated that 250 million pairs of Bata shoes are sold in 60 countries annually. Sonja is also well-known as the founding chairman of Toronto’s Bata Shoe Museum.

Sonja learned the business from the bottom up. She took courses in design, pattern cutting and orthopedics, immersing herself in the development of shoe lines and marketing strategies. For a while she even ran a store in London doing everything from fitting and selling to stocktaking and accounting.

Sonja frequently accompanied her husband on business trips; this has become something of a trademark for the couple. They worked together on product development and marketing strategy. When they found a suitable location for a factory, Sonja would hire the architects and oversee the construction.

The Bata Shoe Museum was founded in 1979, and housed the large collection of traditional footwear Sonja had accumulated on her business travels. Among the 10,000 pairs belonging to the collection today are everything from ancient Egyptian sandals and Inuit boots, to shoes belonging to 20^th century celebrities such as Pablo Picasso and Elton John. Sonja has been personally involved in the purchase of each and every shoe in the collection.

Working on numerous special projects outside of the Bata Corporation, the World Wildlife Fund, Royal Military College, and Art Gallery of Ontario are just a few that have benefited from her spirit and determination. She has raised millions of dollars for numerous causes, and has assisted in improving economic, political, employment and social conditions for women.

She has received countless honours, including being named an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1983, an Honorary Captain of the Canadian Navy in 1989, and North York Chamber of Commerce’s Woman of the Year in 1992. She was the recipient of the United Nations Environmental Programme’s Silver Medal in 1982.

Now over 80 years old, Sonja hasn’t slowed down a bit. She calls her current project, the revitalization of Batawa, Ontario, “a labour of love.” The former shoe factory town was founded by her husband in the 1930s.

Sonja and her husband have four grown children, and as of 2008 she resides in Toronto, Ontario.

Thomas J. Bata was born in 1914 in Zlin, Czechoslovakia. Bata comes from nine generations of cobblers, and his induction into the business of shoemaking was early and intensive. His father established the Bata Shoe Company in the late 19^th century and was the town’s mayor as well as its number one employer. Sadly, Thomas was just a teenager when his father was killed in an airplane crash. Thomas would follow in his father’s footsteps, turning the company into one of the most well-known names in footwear worldwide.

Thomas left Europe for Canada in 1939, and chose the Trenton, Ontario area as the new centre of Bata’s manufacturing operation. The new plant was also offered to Canada’s war effort and was used for making gun mounts and precision instruments. Married in 1946, Thomas met his wife Sonja in Switzerland and soon found her to be a clever and efficient business partner. She became involved in the development of shoe lines and marketing strategies, and is the founder of Toronto’s Bata Shoe Museum.

A leading industrialist, Thomas Bata was able to transform his father’s company into a highly successful enterprise. Under his leadership, the Bata Shoe Company has sold more than 14 billion pairs of shoes; greater than the number of pairs of human feet that have walked the earth.

Mr. Bata has been a director of IBM World Trade, and an advisor to the United Nations Commission on Trans-National Corporations. He was also an Honorary Colonel of the Canadian Forces Reserve and often visited the troops in the field. Vaclav Havel, the Czech president, awarded Thomas the country’s top decoration, the Tomas Garrigue Masaryk Order. In addition, Mr. Bata was named a Companion of the Order of Canada in 1972.

is son Thomas George Bata took over the shoe company from him in 2001.

Alfred J. Billes and J. William Billes built the automotive supply company, Canadian Tire Corporation. The brothers introduced dealer-owned and operated stores, employees’ profit sharing and Canadian Tire money. Together, they revolutionized the car tire and auto parts business.

Born and raised in Toronto, Ontario, Alfred and William began their working partnership with the sharing of a paper route. After the death of their father, Alfred left school to work for the Dominion Bank; he was just 15 at the time.

Life for the brothers was very difficult, until 1922 when they pooled their resources to buy Hamilton Tire and Garage Ltd. Their merchandise included tires, auto parts and an assortment of hardware items.

In 1927 the company was incorporated as Canadian Tire Corporation Limited. “We chose Canadian Tire” Alfred explained, “because it sounded big.” Setting their sights high, the brothers published the first Canadian Tire catalogue the following year. Eighty years later, the Canadian Tire catalogue is published annually in both French and English, and is distributed to almost 9 million households.

Canadian Tire flourished during the Depression, since car owners were more likely to repair than replace their vehicles during this time. Distribution and merchandising became priorities when dealer-owned stores opened in 1934. When his brother William died unexpectedly in 1956, Alfred became President of Canadian Tire, moving the company into western Canada. Alfred remained President until 1966, and acted as a director until 1988. During his time with the company, Alfred introduced the popular Canadian Tire money.

Alfred Billes became a Member of the Order of Canada in 1976. At the time of his death in 1995, Canadian Tire was supplier to over 400 stores. As of 2008, the company claims nine out of ten adult Canadians shop at Canadian Tire at least twice a year. In addition, a Canadian Tire store is within a 15-minute drive of 85% of the Canadian population.

When asked about the success he and his brother experienced, Alfred remarked, “We started young and worked hard. You can accomplish a lot when you work hard.”