The Road Travelled

In fall 1956, Achille Trahan and his wife, Gertrude Trahan, realized the agricultural needs in the region and decided to go into the animal business.
Beef cattle, lambs and a few pigs came directly from local farmers and were slaughtered in a small hangar measuring 300 sq. ft.

The '60s and '70s. More stock needed!
As the demand grew, Achille Trahan bought stock at regional auctions of live animals. His wife handled the telephone calls, kept the books, washed the work coats and cooked lunch for the six employees and her six children.

In 1975,The company employed 25 to 30 people in the early 1980s, and the three oldest children in the family were full members of the team. Jean-Guy worked in shipping and transportation, Rose-Marie and Lucie in accounting. About 75,000 pigs, as well as some calves and lambs, were slaughtered annually.

The '80s. The company employed 25 to 30 people in the early 1980s, and the three oldest children in the family were full members of the team. Jean-Guy worked in shipping and transportation, Rose-Marie and Lucie in accounting. About 75,000 pigs, as well as some calves and lambs, were slaughtered annually.

1982 was an important year as the company started exporting to the United States.

In 1985, it began specializing in hog slaughter. That same year, it broke into the Ontario market. The market for pig carcasses was more and more limited. Endowed with sharp business vision, the Trahan family decided to enter that niche and establish a new butchering company.

In 1989, the company faced a big change in supply methods when the Fédération des producteurs de porcs du Québec introduced online hog auctions. Achille Trahan adapted to the new computerized approach. The company's annual volume stood at 175,000 pigs, almost 5% of Quebec's overall pork stock.

The '90s. Across-the-board expansion continued. The company's workforce gradually climbed from 35 to 100. Annual hog slaughter figures rose from 175,000 to 400,000.

1997 we set out to renew and update our operations. The company was renamed ATRAHAN Transformation inc. and sported a new logo. Its butchering business in Yamachiche and overseas export trade began that year.

In spring 1998, a dark cloud overshadowed the Trahan family with the death of its beloved Achille Trahan. The reins passed smoothly to his two sons and son-in-law: Denis, René and Pierre Milot, Lucie's husband.

In the mid '90s, taking the environment to heart, the company established a wastewater treatment plant with help from the experts. 

In 1999, it gained HACCP accreditation, a quality standard of the agri‑food industry. That same year, ATRAHANTransformation inc. won the Business of the Year Award at the Gala de l'entreprise de la MRC Maskinongé.

Into the 2000s, he company continues to expand and improve its equipment and infrastructure. ATRAHAN is the fourth leading abattoir in Quebec.

Awards and mentions keep on coming

In 2001, ATRAHAN Transformation inc. was a finalist for the Phenix Environmental Award in the sustainable development category. Then, the company qualified for the prestigious competition for Canada's 50 Best Managed Companies.

In 2004, ATRAHAN again won the MRC Maskinongé Business of the Year Award. The January 24 edition of the Journal de Montréal took an interest in the company and named ATRAHAN Transformation inc. its SME of the Week in the business section of its January 24 edition. The company added the new word "traceability" to its production vocabulary and also began recovering hog by‑products for Asian markets. The year 2003 marked a milestone with the signing of its first collective agreement, and 2004 saw women entering production jobs in the company.

In 2007, the company gained C-TPAT certification. The Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism is a program set up by the United States to help participating importers and exporters secure their supply chains against terrorism. In 2008 our operations were validated.

2009 ... In the past 20 years, ATRAHAN Transformation inc. has doubled its Quebec market share in the industry, posting nearly one million hogs slaughtered each year. We export to some 50 countries. Our facility has expanded from 300 sq. ft. back in 1956 to 200,000 sq. ft. and we occupy more than one million sq. ft. of land. Our workforce numbers more than 300.

Our environmental investments alone have amounted to nearly $10 million over the past 10 years.

Denis and René Trahan are proud of their experienced and dynamic team of professionals that has kept the company evolving and growing, and continue to strive and aspire to even higher goals in production and customer satisfaction.

ATRAHAN Transformation inc. is one of Canada's leading pork meat suppliers:
Cuts of Quebec pork • Prepared pork by-products and offals.