The fourth-generation orchard owner in Haut-Richelieu is proud to have worked hard in the family business all his life and is passing the torch to his daughter, who had been preparing to take over since it was three apples acts.
“My father was on the verge of selling the company after a serious car accident in 1968. When I was 14, I told him that I wanted it later,” says Denis Charbonneau, who will soon in turn rent out her daughter Mélanie and her partner Alexandre Jourdain took control of the family business.
“The purchase offer was signed and on the table. My mother stood up. She said: “We don’t sell anymore,” recalls the owner of Vergers Denis Charbonneau, which bears his name, in Mont-Saint-Grégoire.
Back then, Denis went to school one or two days a week to help his mother. Then the years go by and the 14-year-old is celebrating his 70th birthday. Now is the time to slow down and let the next generation take the lead.
Fortunately, the successor is secured. It is her daughter Mélanie and her partner Alexandre Jourdain who take over the business.
“I studied English in Australia for six months. When I came back, I told my parents that I wanted to take over the orchard,” says Mélanie.
“They said to me, ‘Are you sure? It’s seven days. We have to invest and be innovative. Always have ideas. Nature is our boss,” she remembers.
The Charbonneaus also have a creperie and a sugar shack. Photo Martin Chevalier
Succession secured
Customer service, marketing, recruiting… Mélanie then works hard to learn the basics of the profession. It has to be said that she already had a good lead.
“From the age of six or seven, I wanted to help them,” she breathes.
According to the Quebec Business Transfer Center (CTEQ), more than 37% of owner-managers are over 55 years old and more than 34,000 businesses could be transferred between 2020 and 2025 alone.
In Quebec, the takeover market is going through a dark period due to demographic and economic problems, but certain stories like that of Verger’s Denis Charbonneau prove that a well-organized transition can be harmonious.
Saved by the maple
In the Journal, Mélanie says purchasing a neighboring maple grove that bordered her land helped the orchard grow despite the storms.
“I was entitled to a subsidy because I was a 60% shareholder due to a course I completed,” explains the entrepreneur.
At that time the maple grove was abandoned. The country is dilapidated. There are no customers. But the Charbonneaus smell very good.
“It was an old campsite that wasn’t very tidy. We put a lot of money into it,” adds his father Denis.
When asked how he plans to give himself a comfortable retirement by leaving his business to his daughter at a good price, he replies that he has thought about his business.
“We also do a bit of real estate. It’s a part-time job that allows you to have a decent retirement,” he concludes.
Can you share information about this story?
Write to us or call us directly at 1 800-63SCOOP.