The relocation of Steen’s Dairy processing plant to Guelph later this year will be an emotional move for Ken Steen.
Personally, he will miss daily walks out to the diary bar to “chew the fat” with employees and customers about politics or the latest hockey game.
“That’s something we’ll all miss, but this is a move we thought we had to make,” Steen said.
The business has been an institution in downtown Erin for decades, but the Main Street location will not facilitate the growth Steen says is necessary to ensure a bright future.
“It’s hard … we’d love to stay in Erin, but we just couldn’t find the right facility,” Steen said. “In today’s business climate, you need to become more efficient, and this will help us do that.”
Steen said the main problem is space, though the town’s water system and lack of a wastewater system also made staying at the current location difficult.
The processing operations will move in October to a new location on Laird Road, which was previously used by another food company and has a lot of the features Steen’s Dairy will need, Steen said.
It will also benefit Organic Meadow, makers of organic dairy products, with which Steen’s has partnered for several years.
But moving the dairy bar never even crossed Steen’s mind. “Absolutely not,” he said. “It’s been a tradition for so long.”
That News was music to the ears of Jo Fillery, who owns the nearby What’s Cookin’ store.
“I’m relieved it’s staying there because they make the best milk shakes on the planet,” said Fillery, who is also the vice chair of the Erin Village BIA. “They’re an institution … an amazing icon.”
Mayor Rod Finnie said the loss of over 20 jobs is disheartening, but he understands the need for the move.
“I guess the crunch has come,” Finnie said, explaining the town was hoping to address wastewater issues before the business was forced to relocate.
Erin has a duty, he noted, to nurture and retain all existing businesses in the town, and a major part of that will be developing a solution to the current wastewater situation.
The mayor added Steen’s Dairy, as well as the Steen family, have been “integral parts of the community” for decades. “Steen’s is part of our town … [this] is a major loss for the community,” he said.
Fillery agreed.
“We’re going to miss having them in the downtown,” she said. “They’re living legends around here.”
The history
Established by Fred Steen in June of 1944, Steen’s Dairy Limited has grown to be one of the leading independent dairies in Ontario.
Starting as a single man operation, Fred Steen developed door-to-door delivery in Erin, Hillsburgh, Belfountain and Ballinafad. He purchased Maple Leaf Dairy in Georgetown in 1960 in order to expand his delivery area, enabling him to deliver to Inglewood, Victoria, Terra Cotta, and to stores in Cheltenham and Caledon Village.
In later years, Fred’s sons Ken and Tom took over the business, which now employs 25 people. At startup, Steen’s produced 5,000 litres per month, and it now produces more than a million litres per month.
For decades Steen’s Dairy Bar on Main Street has been famous – both within and far beyond Erin’s borders – for its wide assortment of ice cream, milk shakes, frozen treats, sandwiches and burgers.
