Mary Brown's leans into its Canadian roots in U.S. tariff fight

Elizabeth Whitten · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 06, 2025 9:56 AM EST | Last Updated: March 6

A Canadian fast nutrient edifice known for its fried chickenhearted is readying to thin into its maple leafage roots arsenic portion of its strategy to navigate the uncertainties posed by U.S. tariffs.

Mary Brown's, which is portion of MBI Brands, got its commencement successful Newfoundland and Labrador and present has hundreds of locations crossed Canada and is expanding globally.

MBI Brands vice-president of planetary improvement Dylan Powell says the institution is prepared for the U.S. commercialized war.

"You amended judge we're each hands connected platform to effort to measure what the implications are from our proviso chain," Powell told CBC Radio's The St. John's Morning Show on Thursday.

Mary Brown's halfway ingredients — oil, potatoes, flour and chickenhearted — are bought successful Canada.

WATCH | Mary Brown's volition unfastened successful India and Pakistan adjacent month:

"We bargain Canadian and we're a Canadian-owned company," said Powell.

Newfoundland entrepreneur Greg Roberts owns the company.

Monitoring the situation

Powell says Trump's tariffs volition person an interaction connected business, but similar astir different Canadian companies and industries, helium isn't definite of the grade conscionable yet.

"We're not being passive. We're precise overmuch being proactive successful figuring retired where the symptom points volition beryllium and what the alternatives are," helium said.

However, he's also optimistic astir the situation.

"I tin accidental that globally, it's not a atrocious clip to beryllium a Canadian marque compared to immoderate of the alternatives. Because I deliberation determination is inactive a batch of affinity for Canada and immoderate knowing of the concern that we're in," helium said.

Mary Brown's has besides seen an summation successful income owed to the recent push to enactment local, Powell said, and the institution is looking for ways to awesome it is simply a Canadian marque beyond the maple leafage successful its logo.

"People don't needfully leap to the thought that we are a 56-year-old Canadian marque calved connected the eastbound seashore and Newfoundland," helium said. "So really, getting that connection out. It's the close time."

Big Mary abroad

But the tariff troubles travel arsenic the institution is successful the midst of its planetary enlargement plan.

Powell says the contention is connected due to the fact that they're opening locations successful some Pakistan and India successful April.

"We're conscionable finalizing the expansive opening dates based connected immoderate of the operation and whatnot," helium said.

Mary Brown's opened successful the U.K. and Mexico past year. That enlargement was years in the making that had been disrupted owed to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Still, Powell says 2024 was a "breakout year" for the company.

"All of the halfway products are decidedly going to beryllium there. Where determination are variances, it tends to beryllium successful the desserts and the sides and whatnot," helium said.

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