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Maple company started as hobby, became a way of life

Halifax News Net


By Yvette d’Entremont – The Weekly News
With six years of storefront operation behind them, Acadian Maple Products in Upper Tantallon moves next month to a new, much larger space to keep up with an ever-increasing demand for its products.
But the business won’t be moving too far. Located just metres behind its current building on Peggy’s Cove Road, the new 6,000-square-foot facility will be seven times larger. In addition to providing more retail, storage and packaging space, it will easily handle large bus and school tours interested in agri-tourism.
“One of the reasons for the expansion was because we’re on the busiest tourist road in Nova Scotia, we were getting many requests for bus tours, and this building was too small to handle it,” said Acadian Maple Products owner Brian Allaway.
“We also have a packaging facility in the Wentworth Valley and decided to build a new building to include the packaging line and distribution.We’re trying to look 10 years down the road.”
The new facility is being constructed in a way that ensures it will heat and cool more efficiently. It includes a much larger retail shop, a tank room for the maple syrup, large storage areas, office space, and a shipping and receiving area.
It was also designed to accommodate bus tours and anyone interested in learning more about the maple industry. Large windows allow visitors a glimpse into the inner workings of the facility.
“People can come in and see what’s happening in our boiling room. That day we could be boiling, making fudge, making maple butter, or any number of things that we do,” Allaway said.
“Not just bus tours, but school groups, family reunions, any large group that would like a tour of the facility and a presentation on the maple industry. We finally have a place we can do that.”
What started as a hobby for Allaway 27 years ago has become a way of life. His family had a few maple trees in the backyard, made a little too much maple syrup for its own consumption, and began selling some of the surplus to a local store owner.
“He asked for more. We started making more. Then we had to start purchasing to keep up with the demand,” he recalled.
The family eventually built its own sugar camp in the Wentworth Valley, and quickly discovered their biggest challenge was that they never seemed to have enough maple syrup.
“We decided to put our energy into marketing. Now we’re federally licensed as a maple producer, we can buy from any farmer and sell around the world,” Allaway said, noting some producers now sell their entire crop to Acadian Maple Products, ensuring a steady supply for the company.
When his son William graduated from university, he put his energies into expanding the family business. They purchased the Peggy’s Cove Road property six years ago, and business has grown dramatically ever since.
Acadian Maple’s product line ranges from syrups to fresh fudge, juices, jams and preserves, dips and spices, maple sugar and butter, and even maple wine. The company exports maple syrup and products around the world, including Ireland, Switzerland, Spain and Mexico.
Acadian Maple Products will move all of its operations from the Wentworth Valley to the new Upper Tantallon facility and will be hiring more people locally.
The building that currently houses Acadian Maple Products will be moved.
“Someone will be taking it. We didn’t want to tear it down unless we had to, as a last resort,” Allaway said.
The new facility is expected to open its doors the first week of August.
For more information about Acadian Maple Products, visit the company’s web site, www.acadianmaple.com.

ydentremont@hfxnews.ca