My view on Entrepreneurs and Enterprises inspired by Peter Shoore
Frnk Jun 25 2013 in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. Last updated in March 11 2015.
naturehealer+hotmail+com
http://frank-waterloo.blog.163.com/blog/static/205239029201352463319331/
Enterprises are the important organization of social production to create material wealth for human survival, and the entrepreneurs invest their money to run the enterprises with a frugal living and risk taking, to provide employment for public living and revenue for social governing. Thus, their enterprises are to be shared publiclly in playing the role as social wealth.
The entrepreneur is the best social servant and the communist in the reality.
— Frank May 21 2014 in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
Please look at the heart-monologue of Asia’s richest man to feel his endlessconcerns as successful entrepreneur：
Li Ka-shing, Hong Kong business magnate, the richest person in Asia, who once said that: “Everyone says that I am very rich, in fact, the part of the wealth that really belongs to me is the life insurance that I bought for myself and my families. Life insurance is the last life-saving straw that left to myself and my families for once enterprise encountering crisis, which is legally protected and the creditors can not take away.
As a wise man, with more than 50 years of hard struggle in the marketplace, Mr. Li Ka-shing has long been recognized that, there too many factors are impacting the rise and fall of the enterprise with affecting the changes in the wealth, which including the market risk, policy risk, operational risk, personal risk, liability risks, systemic risk, and so on. Some of them are controllable, some are not. Any occurrence of the risk can make the accumulation of lifetime hard working to be vanished instantly.
— Frank Mar 18 2015 in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
Now let us start with main topic.
Peter Shoore, the owner of Sunrise Farms, Vancouver B.C. Canada, who has studied classical music in the Netherlands for seven years to have earned his doctorate in music, but he becomes an entrepreneur in chicken industry Canada in 3 decades ago. As a doctorate of Music, Obviously, the music is his favorite. I could not imagine his feelings when he has to play immetrical music with chicken by giving up his favorite?
A two times heart attack sufferer by the pressure from business running, after sold his 20 years running business, wrote on company’s news letter with that: “Now that we have been delegated to the back pages, the pressure is off to be profound, witty, and entertaining at the same time. But that still doesn’t stop us from wanting to have something to say, that will inspire and be interesting to read. We can reminisce, about the old days, like your grandfather carrying a bucket of water up hill, in a snowstorm without shoes.”
After reading above, I am tearful. I think, even himself would not understand the meaning his 20 years hard working, two times heart attack, have exchanged as the jobs for many families survival and the revenue for social governing.
In Canada, I am familiar with some Entrepreneurs, as a result of too much psychological pressure from business running, among them, besides above two times heart attack sufferer, there one was dead earliy.
The facts cause me to think about the meaning of the enterprises and entrepreneurs.
The Entrepreneurs run Enterprises to create job position for citizen livehood-making and tax revenue for social governing, from this point of view, the Entrepreneurs are the best civil servants, and the communists in reality.
However, historically, in worldwide, it has been lacking of concerning and supporting for Entrepreneurs, even, until now, there great many people are with hostile attitude toward them. The law seems to have ignored this group also, but tended to protect employees without updating of the outdated traditional concept of ideology from the times of Industrial Revolution with ignoring that modern society has provided thoughtful social welfare and comprehensive legal protection.
The outdated ideology and practice has badly affected the work ethic of employees and to have made Enterprises difficult for managing, even, encouraging some mindless employees’ pranks boldly in the workplace without the fear of being punished. It is not only badly affecting the production efficiency, but more terrible, it even caused the closure of some Enterprises.
The article Canada’s Corporate Management & Reducing Psychological Pressure was written according to my personal experiences, in which I have taken DEF Company（Anonymous）as example to introduce that a gentleman who was in a very good appearance with good personal accomplishment of civilized, cultured, and polite, but he was teaching others to slow down their work with smile in a production line’s final stage, and to have lowered the production capacity of whole line to 50% around. Thus, made a good Enterprise closed before outbreak of Financial Crisis 2008. He made himself and other 1300 people lost high quality jobs – Prime Minister Stephen Harper once said that he would like to provide, which is good paid with good work environment.
The company was a branch of listed transnational manufacturer of banking and cashing machine located in Waterloo, On. Ca.. As listed enterprise, the identity of business owners have faded, so the hostile attitude of employee toward the owner of the enterprise should also be watered down. Our jobs were like that of assembling a big computer with the parts that assembled by the teams in top of the production line. This kind of jobs was not heavy physically and it could not work fast also. I am still wondering that why the gentleman did that? His behavior was no any advantage or interest for any others and himself? If it was not what I have seen, I would never believe that was true.
Above is only a simple example of mindless employees’ making trouble in the workplace. As my personal experiences, such acts of sabotaging production are common in Canadian Enterprises, the difference is just the sabotaging forms.
Those mindless employees have no ability and no mind for doing good job, but with ability and full-hearted for trouble-making endlessly. It is an important cause of production inefficiency with an unpredictable consequences due to no one know what kind of bad idea would be put into production. The result not only harms business owner, but also harms society badly. The basis for Canadian economy is being damaged in such a simple way.
Since that I have been concerning about the corporate management, in past 12 years, I specifically worked in different types of enterprises in Canada to have observed their management with the mind that cultured with the culture and philosophies, which experienced before and after economic reform from the rigid planned economy to the market economy of China – the other side of the globe.
Inspired by the experiences from both China and Canada, I have written some articles regarding the improvement of corporate management. Above mentionedCanada’s Corporate Management & Reducing Psychological Pressure is the one of them, in which I introduced some true Enterprises by anonymous as good and poor managed examples.
Feb. 13, 2013, the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) issued the survey report to have given a proof with exact data – Canada’s mid-sized firms have declinedby 17% — from 9,370 to 7,814 — from 2006 to 2010, in which, the manufacturing sector reduced more than half, from 2,807 to 1,381 between 2001 and 2010.
According to personal observation, I dare say that the management of great many domestic Canadian businesses is not worth for appreciation. I guess that, the decline of Canada’s mid-sized firms was caused by the mismanagement, in which few mindless employees lacking of responsibility, and boldly making trouble plays significant role.
The reason of those mindless employees dare do so, I think, firstly is from the hostile attitude toward Entrepreneurs, secondly is lack of management rules and regulations to follow, thirdly is from the interpersonal relationship factors, management staffs dare not manage strictly with the fear of undermining the friendship with employees, and fourthly is from the emboldening of the protection of outdated legislation.
In viewing of above, I have wrote Family Business and Management Board, My View on the Argument of Social Polarization with the purpose to reduce or avoid the hostility of Employees toward the Entrepreneurs by properly understanding the Rich, in which I indicated that the money of those Rich is not in handy for self enjoyment but mostly being used in the business’ running with creating employment and revenue. Therefore, in fact, it is being shared by public actually in playing the role of public wealth.
In some extent, in fact, the Enterprise is shared to make living by Employees & Employers together.
In view of this, we can draw a general conclusion: it is that the means of production is not personal consuming goods, no matter who owns it, the owner only possess the power of disposal or organization of the production of social material wealth.
To view in this practical way, the Poor are not poor as some people complained; and the Rich are not rich as some people fantasized at all.
For well understanding this issue, I will reprint an article that introduce Peter Shoore, the owner of Sunrise Farms, Vancouver Canada, a private business that primary focus on processing and distribution of quality poultry and other fine protein products. I hope that from the hard experience of Peter Shoore to help public to further understand the nature of the Rich and their money, the nature of Entrepreneur and Enterprise, thereby to improve their work ethic and to care every thing in enterprise as that of at home.
Perhaps, for business owners, the purpose for launching a business, initially, is just for breadwinner, for a better life of their families. However, even if the business’ scale is gradually larger, even if they got enough money, the majority of the entrepreneurs and their families are still very frugal in daily life. The consumption of their families is similar with those of general employees. The money they earned was to be invested to make business stable and to expand the production.
However, compared with common employees, those Entrepreneurs and their families are taking high psychological pressures on their business running, such as, business managing, marketing, financing, etc. The more terrible stress may come from the worries for potential legal responsibilities in unseen.
In consideration of social effect, the Entrepreneurs running the Enterprises are to create job position and tax revenue for Community. Thus, the meaning of their personal behaviors was sublimated from the parochial self-interest originally to the public interest actually.
There are s lot of facts showing that the majority of Entrepreneurs are more concerning the macro-social issue and the life of their Employees, but rather than their own personal interests. This is the big different between Entrepreneurs and Employees.
From this point of view, the Entrepreneurs are the best civil servants, and the communists in reality.
Forbes makes The World’s Billionaires List every year, I think that they may be ignored the nature of the Rich and their money. The World’s Billionaires List has been playing a role to arouse public aware of Social Polarization from time to time. It may easily cause misunderstanding and to induce public hatred mentality toward the Entrepreneurs.
The concept of Social Polarization is worth serious reflection. It is playing a bad role to harm the society in many ways.
Now, I would like to take Peter Shoore as example to show the nature of the Social Polarization.
After 30 years hard working, now Peter Shoore has qualified as so-called -Billionaire, but, as Entrouprenour, his money is used in the means of production with nearly 20 foods processing branches and the daily running, with provides jod for social employment and the tax revenue for social governance, rather than in handy for self enjoyment.
On other hand, he has studied classical music in the Netherlands for seven years to have earned his doctorate in music, but he becomes an entrepreneur in chicken industry Canada. As a doctorate of Music, obviously, the music is his favorite. I could not imagine his feelings when he has to play immetrical music with chicken by giving up his favorite?
One point is clear, when our ideal conflicts with the reality, we tend to, to have to give up the ideal, to surrender to the reality, because of, and first of all, we need to survive. However, when we obtained the economic capacity to engage in our favourite, the prime time of our life has been past. Maybe, this is the sad and helpless of life.
I am tearful.
However, as smart people, whatever engaged, they will be doing well. In particular, for Peter Shoore, who is rich in musical talent, and he has written an alternative life movement with successful running Sunrise Farms, with rapid expansion, and innovations.
InTop 100 private companies in B.C. in 2011, Sunrise Farms is ranked as 41, in Top 100 private companies in BC in 2012, Sunrise Farms is ranked as 40, which is according to the annual revenue of the fiscal year.
Above I have mentioned that the majority of Entrepreneurs are more concerning the macro-social issue and the life of their Employees also was inspired by Peter Shoore.
I am working in a branch of his business, recently the payment of all staff here was increased and the walls of workshop were newly decorated when other companies are tightening spending.
Peter Shoore said that, I would like to see my employees work in a comfortable environment.
Please remember: Peter Shoore – a Billionaire Entrouprenour, his first concerning is his Employees rather than that of money.
— Frank Li Jun 25 2013 in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
Last updated in March 11 2015.
As a smart entrepreneur, whether consideration from the interests of own family, or the interests of whole society, that ensuring the business long-term stable running is much meaningful than that of putting money in own pocket. The money will poison their children and grandchildren, while, the enterprise will act as an evergreen tree to provide shade for the million-generation descendants.
— Frank Li Oct 15 2013 in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
Follow is a report about Peter Shoore, the owner of Sunrise Farms, Vancouver B.C. Canada.
CANADIAN POULTRY — August 2008
http://mydigitalpublication.com/article/Business_Profile/46456/5365/article.html
Business Profile
Sunrise Farms With a knack for the chicken processing business and the right timing, Peter Shoore has built the largest individual chicken processing plant in Western Canada.
How did a Vancouverite of Scottish heritage who studied classical music in the Netherlands for seven years become an icon in the Canadian chicken industry?
“Fate” says Peter Shoore, who is celebrating the 25th anniversary of Sunrise Farms, formerly called Sunrise Poultry.
“It’s a case of being in the right place at the right time.” After earning his doctorate in music in the mid-1970s, Shoore decided to return home rather than remain in an overcrowded Europe. Deciding he couldn’t make it as a classical musician, Shoore went to work in his father’s small cannery where, among other things, he canned whole chicken.
That led to an offer from White Spot, a chicken-based restaurant chain then owned by General Foods, to run their small money-losing chicken processing plant in Surrey, B.C. He was an instant success.
“It clicked with me,” Shoore says.
“Operating a chicken processing plant turned out to be something I was really good at.” The plant was located on leased property, with the lease set to expire in early 1983. After General Foods made a failed half-hearted attempt to buy the property, Shoore was prompted by his mother to make an attempt of his own.
It was the first of many “gutsy moves” Shoore has made over the past 25 years.
In fact, his holding company is fittingly called “High Noon Enterprises.” (Shoore’s various operations are structured as separate companies, which are in turn owned by the holding company. “My employees are on profit-sharing plans and I only want them to benefit from the company they’re directly involved in rather than the whole operation,” Shoore explains.)
When the lease expired, Shoore simply told White Spot, which itself was in the process of being sold and which remains one of his customers, the lease would not be renewed, effectively daring them to remove their equipment. They didn’t – selling it to him instead.
At the time, the plant was about 20,000 square feet and killed about 25,000 birds/ week. It has since grown to 120,000 square Feet and now kills over 600,000 birds/ week.
While still number three overall in British Columbia. (Lilydale and Hallmark are both bigger processors), Sunrise’s Surrey plant is the largest individual chicken plant in Western Canada. Shoore’s operations also includes a hatchery in the Fraser Valley, a former beef plant which is now used primarily for packaging and storage, a further processing plant in Abbotsford, a massive live haul fleet and, most recently, a hatchery and processing plant in Lethbridge. Among them, the various operations employ about 1,000 people. Shoore also owns three broiler farms in the Fraser Valley.
Shoore admits his timing to get into the business couldn’t have been better, displaying the B.C. Chicken Marketing Board’s annual production graphs to prove it. After flat production in the late ’70s and early ’80s, the market “went stupid” in 1983. Production has increased almost every year since and is now triple what it was 25 years ago.
Others may call it lucky, but Shoore prefers to think “we created the wave.” Unlike many others, he thinks the end is not yet in sight.
“We see a lot more growth in raw,” he says, “it would require looking for new markets but the will to do that doesn’t seem to be there in Canada.” While he recognizes feed prices have skyrocketed and are putting the brakes on growth, he believes that is only temporary.
He insists the increased feed costs are actually good for chicken, saying “the more expensive feeds become, the more reasonable chicken becomes.” He points out that not only is chicken a much more versatile meat, meaning it can be used in a wider variety of dishes than beef or pork, but it takes only two pounds of feed to produce a pound of chicken, as compared to four pounds of feed for a pound of pork and eight pounds of feed for beef.
“Our company is always pushing for more growth. Eventually the hog price will go up and when it does, a lot more chicken will be required.” Because chicken supply is so tightly controlled, he decided “the only way for us to grow is through further Processed.” He therefore built his further processing plant. His forseight was justified: Opened in 1997 with one line, it now operates three cooking lines. The products are sold in both retail and HRI (hotel, restaurant, institutional) markets across Canada.
The further processed plant is just one of Shoore’s innovations. In 1991, Sunrise was the first processor in Canada to go to a tray-catching system, which is not only used with automated catching machines but also allows automated loading of the killing line.
Shoore has seen tremendous change in the past 25 years, not the least of which is change in the chicken itself.
When he started, chicks were sexed and it took cockerels 6 weeks and 3 days and pullets 7 weeks and 3 days to reach 3.8 pounds live weight. Today mixed flocks reach the same weight in just 32 days.
“If we sexed the birds, we could probably bring cockerels in at 28 days,” he states, adding he expects production time to continue to shorten a day/year for the next five years. “We now worry about the size of chick which goes to the barn and the actual time it gets delivered and later picked up.” While he has faced few adversities in his 25 years, Shoore admits he was stumped by when the avian influenza outbreak hit in 2004. “That was my most difficult time in the industry because I literally didn’t know what to do. I left it up to my managers and they decided To bring in birds from outside. It was logistical nightmare but it worked.” While AI was an expensive lesson for all sectors of the industry, Shoore doesn’t believe the lesson has been learned.
“I don’t think anyone has done a good enough job of preventing another recurrence. Producers don’t have any better biosecurity now.” While AI remains a huge threat, urbanization may be an even bigger threat. It not only faces farmers, whose practices are under siege by increasingly urbanized neighbours, but also the processing plants whose once relatively isolated locations are now surrounded by more upscale “clean” industries and even urban residences. Yet Shoore does not relish the prospect of moving.
“If they told (the processing plants) tomorrow we were gone, where would we find land with adequate water and sewer?” he asks.
Shoore admits B.C. processors and B.C. producers continue to have a running battle over price, but has little sympathy for complaints that grower returns are insufficient.
“The fiscal year of our own farms ended in April and we had a record year,” he claims.
He suggests producers having a tough time making it should look inward. “I see returns from a good producer to a bad producer are quite different. There is also a big discrepancy between feed companies. Producers need to put more pressure on there.” After 25 years in the business, Shoore is giving more responsibility to his upper management and starting to groom his son to take over.
“He just finished his first year at the University of the Fraser Valley and we want him to get an MBA.” His son is also learning every aspect of the business.
“He has worked on the catching crew, done chores on the chicken farm, done all the jobs in this plant and is now working in the hatchery.”
But that doesn’t mean Shoore intends to quit the business anytime soon. “
I wouldn’t know what to do with myself if I retired. I hope they carry me out of here.”
frankwaterloo 