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- , / 105 PINNACLE STREET, BELLEVILLE, ON Another important factor that has contributed to the company's success is quality. "Cheezies are made with nothing but the finest ingredients," explains Hawkins, There are not any preservatives in Cheezies," he says, "and we use real aged Cheddar cheese." The tasty formula behind the crisp and delicious snack food has remained exactly the same throughout the company's 52 year history, as have the suppliers. The only change to take place has been in minor manufacturing improvements. But darker and Woodcox have steadfastly overseen even this small tweaking process. "Our two tasters, Jim and Shirley, periodically check the different batches." says Hawkins, who adds that they can both attest to the fact that the Cheezies of yesteryear are identical to the Cheezies of today. "The formula has remained exactly the same." Pcofdc first Perhaps one of the biggest factors in HI Hawkins success is the people who have helped build the company over the years. In fact, many of the original staff still work there and there's even a waiting list to get in. Take the example of the Fobert identical twins. When they were students, they used to wait for their mother at the staff picnic bench. As soon as they were old enough, they joined their mother as employees and are still with the company. The twins however, aren't the only ones to share the MI Hawkins tradition. At any given time, the company has 30 fulltime employees but that can fluctuate up to 80 or 90 during the busy periods. [Each batch of Cheezies is made to order so freshness is also guaranteed.] Many of these people started with the company right after school and have remained there to this day, while others sought to join their brothers, sisters, parent or other relations- giving a strong sense of an extended family. That's how Barbara Bosiak thinks of the company. A 30 year veteran who is being groomed to take on Woodcox s position. Bosiak will undoubtedly help carry on the MI Hawkins tradition. "We've been fortunate." says Woodcox. "We're lucky to attract solid, clear-thinking people. We didn't do this on our own. There's a real solid team behind us." 52. Although WI Hawkins has experimented in other snack foods over the years, the company re-mains loyal to its number one product. That's not to say that it won,-t continue to search out new ideas or innovations but it's unlikely that it will ever abandon its well established roots. "If you're doing something well, you should continue to do it well." says Marker. "Cheezies has been our forte and Cheezies will remain our forte." As for expansion into other markets outside of Canada or to set up manufacturing facilities beyond Bellevil e, that too has already been ttM" "With production, you need to keep on eyeball on it all of the time." says Marker. "That's the only way you can determine if the quality standards are what they should be. If you expand, it becomes really difficult to oversee all of that" For the last 52 years W. Hawkins has worked hard to establish strong markets for its product It has captured significant market share throughout all of Canada and, in particular Western Canada. But in addition to creating a craving among Canadians for its crispy, orange snack, WI Hawkins has created a family tradition that extends beyond bloodlines. It's a family that has strong ties to the community and one that encourages giving back where one can. "In regards to the community, we've always been very active, says Woodcox. As a company, we are supportive of local sports and arts." With such strong ties to this type of loyalty and commitment, it seems only reasonable to assume that the next 50 years will serve to carry on the company tradition. WI Hawkins has become a well-read page in the Canadian history books. tl^irCJUL^