David Price honoured for being an innovator and visionary in swine genetics, production, processing and marketing.
‘I believe that no significant accomplishments are made alone,’ says David Price, one of 3 inductees into the Alberta Agriculture Hall of Fame.
‘With the wonderful support of my family, I have been very fortunate to have the opportunity to work with, and to learn from some tremendous people of all ages and walks of life.’
As founder, past president, and company director of the Sunterra Group of Companies, Price’s leadership was integral to building a fully integrated family-run food company with top-quality pork and a true farm to fork business model.
The Sunterra Group of Companies now comprises pig production in Canada and the U.S., crop and greenhouse production, two meat-processing plants, and 9 retail markets in Alberta. Price’s ability to see potential future trends and opportunities, but not compromise on quality or service, was a critical pillar of the company’s success.
As a young man in 1968, Price spent a year in England working with the Pig Improvement Company, a new pig-breeding concept. Upon returning to Alberta, he, his parents and some very close friends decided to launch Pig Improvement Canada.
They imported ‘modern’ swine genetics from England in the 1970s, built a national swine breeding company, and pivoted to an innovative swine production company with exceptional health and quality.
Price led his team in their continued quest to expand into marketing areas previously not considered by others. They added a PhD in genetics and another PhD in meat science to their group (believed to be the first by a North American meat processor) to assist in creating a focus on production of ‘premium quality pork’.
Their combined vision paid off. Continual advances in genetic research, cross breeding techniques, swine nutrition, meat science analysis and management produced more pork per sow per year, at less cost and, over time, produced higher quality pork for consumers with more protein and less fat.
In honour of the premature death of his late son Greg, Price and his family have also worked diligently to make changes in health care to make it safe, continuous, collaborative and patient-centred. They shared their thoughts and experiences on the healthcare system through their Health Arrows website and, more recently, they established the not-for-profit organization Greg's Wings Projects.
‘Thank you for this unexpected honour, and a special thanks to everyone that has been part of our journey,’ says Price.
David Price joins Walter Paszkowski and George Visser as the 2020 inductees into the Hall of Fame.
Due to public health measures to contain the spread of COVID-19, the in-person 2020 Agriculture Hall of Fame Ceremony was cancelled. The 2020 inductees will be formally recognized at an event, likely in 2021, when it is safe to gather.
Source : alberta.ca