In the early 1950′s, Alfred J. Rogers, a farmer in the North Okanagan Valley of British Columbia, Canada, acquired a small stone milling device for the purpose of grinding grains for his own family’s use. Gradually his neighbors in the Okanagan Valley began coming to him for the same service. Eventually some of the local food stores asked that he grind local grains to produce natural, non-additive flours and cereals. Thus a hectic part-time milling business evolved for Alfred.
By 1971, Alfred Rogers was ready to retire from both farming and milling. He handed the reins over to his youngest son, Stan. Quick to realize the potential of supplying the public with natural whole grain products, Stan began an expansion program to have the sales of Rogers Foods Ltd. products grow from the Okanagan Valley across Western Canada and into Ontario.
In September, 1989, majority ownership of the Canadian company Rogers Foods Ltd. was acquired by Nisshin Flour Milling Co., Ltd. of Tokyo, Japan. Since acquiring Rogers Foods, the Company has expended millions of dollars on capital modernization, expansion or improvements. In addition, the labour force has grown, now totaling approximately 100 employees. In its last fiscal year, Rogers contributed 3 million dollars in wages and benefits into the North Okanagan and Lower Mainland economies.
Today, Rogers Foods continues to be a well-financed company comprised of the following components:
a. a thoroughly modern flour mill,
b. a state-of-the-art, value-added mix facility,
c. a cereal production unit, and
d. bulk flour processing capabilities.
