History
In
1918
Messrs. Déus Courchesne and Victor Larose laid the foundations for the Group in instituting Courchesne, Larose Ltd. The company’s initial goal consisted in providing local producers with a showcase so they could obtain access to the Montreal market, in particular through the company’s stand at the Bonsecours Market, Courchesne, Larose Ltd quickly grew around its importing and distribution expertise. It did not take very long for its excellence to be recognized on this basis, as governments chose the company as fruit and vegetable distributor during the Second World War
One cannot look into Courchesne, Larose Ltd’s history without also visiting that of the Routhier family. After joining the company in its fledgling years, Mr. Raoul Routhier became a major internal corporate figure on account of his prominence as a visionary and his entrepreneurial dynamism. He acquired his first shares in the early 1920s. When Mr. Routhier passed away in 1945, his older son Jean-Paul, quickly joined later by younger brother Louis-Charles, took over corporate leadership. In 1959, the Routhier brothers bought all the shares. Since then, for over half a century, the Routhier family has been exclusive owner of Courchesne, Larose Ltd.
From Notre-Dame Boulevard, where it was located since day one, the company built a warehouse in the late 1950s , of a then unprecedented size and scale and equipped with the era’s leading-edge technology. This new warehouse’s 7,440-square meter (80,000-square foot) area enabled it to take on 150 truckloads of merchandise every week, thus ensuring the company’s prosperity for years hence. One of the innovations consisted in adding huge ripening rooms for bananas. These special rooms, and the associated know-how developed, positioned Courchesne, Larose Ltd as the leader in banana ripening on the Quebec market.
The ensuing move of the company to the corner of Sainte-Catherine and Bercy streets allowed produce originating from all over the continent and even overseas to be delivered to the new installations by train, one of the era’s preferred means of transportation. This new place of business enshrined importing as the company’s lead role, which still provides it today with an enviable international reputation. This move paved the way to the firm’s international shift and embodied the cornerstone of this strategy’s development.
In 1979 , Louis-Charles Routhier acquired his brother’s stake in the company. His two sons, Michel and Alain, then at the outset of their careers, subsequently took on increasingly major corporate management responsibilities. Michel spearheaded administrative and financial affairs as well as international business development, while Alain handled operations, purchasing, sales and industrial relations. Their sister Louise, less involved in the company’s daily business, nonetheless participated in major corporate orientation decisions, while representing the firm as part of several events and developing its community involvement.
At the start of the 21st century , the fourth generation made its way into the company. Louise’s two sons, Frédéric and Alexandre Monette, became a part of operations as well as the purchasing and sales departments. Michel’s older son Ian, immediately following completion of his studies, got involved in the Group’s international activities.
