At Jefo, business is about strong relationships: ‘This industry is a proximity game’
By the time the sun rises over the Quebec countryside, Jean Fontaine has likely been doing business for several hours already. He wakes up on workdays at 3:45 a.m.
“I start in Australia, then I go to Asia, the Middle East,” says Mr. Fontaine, who has a wall of clocks in his office displaying the various time zones. “By eight o’clock, I’ve talked to many of my markets already.”
Mr. Fontaine is the founder and president of Jefo, an animal nutrition company based in Saint-Hyacinthe, Que., a city 60 kilometres east of Montreal. Founded in 1982, Jefo has grown to employ 450 people and has a worldwide reach. “We have invoiced 87 countries… so far,” he says.
The company’s calling card is their “Jefo Matrix” technology, which enables farmers to deliver targeted nutrients to their livestock with absorption and release times tailored to the needs of that animal’s specific digestive system.
Despite the intense focus on science behind the scenes, Mr. Fontaine believes his business is built on strong relationships. It’s why his days are spent in conversation: chatting over coffee with employees, a business lunch catching up with others on his team and more client calls until the end of the work day.
Jean Fontaine checks in with customer service coordinators Mickel Richer (middle) and Giovanni Tavormina (right) at Jefo headquarters in Saint-Hyacinthe, Que.
“I love to be with people, I’m renowned for that,” says Mr. Fontaine, who lives just 750 metres away from Jefo corporate headquarters.
That constant interaction is also integral to Jefo’s business model, which involves recurring orders – often monthly – from farmers needing to feed their flocks and herds.
“We build relationships over 30, 40 years,” Mr. Fontaine says. “This is what I love, because this industry is a proximity game. When you’re with people, you get information, sometimes more than you expected.”
He combines that human touch with what he calls the “obsession” you need to make it as an entrepreneur. In Mr. Fontaine’s case, that current fixation lies with the science of the microbiome, and the technology Jefo has developed to modulate the microflora in an animal’s gut.
“My vision is that I want to be recognized as one of the biggest influencers to control the microbiome,” he says. “It’s an invisible world that causes many problems and some benefits, [and] we need to balance it properly. It’s so much fun.”
In front of the Jefo campus, a transport truck is loaded with product to be delivered across the province.
“My vision is that I want to be recognized as one of the biggest influencers to control the microbiome,” he says. “It’s an invisible world that causes many problems and some benefits, [and] we need to balance it properly. It’s so much fun.”
Jefo has been recognized as one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies for 2024, an award that recognizes excellence in private Canadian-owned enterprises. They’ve received this honour many times through the years, which speaks to Jefo’s sterling reputation among suppliers, customers and staff. Integral to this, Mr. Fontaine adds, is the company’s long-standing relationship with CIBC.
“They have been our primary bank for 41 years,” he says. “The proximity of the account managers and the bank president himself, Mr. Victor Dodig, have solidified our relationship over all these years.”
Those positive feelings are mutual. “[At Jefo], talents, ideas and efforts converge towards a common goal. [They’re] a superb team that’s always a pleasure to work with,” says Melanie Lachance, their coach at CIBC. “The company’s success is the result of a bold, innovative management style that favours creativity and adaptability.”
As the son of a dairy farmer, Mr. Fontaine saw firsthand the financial struggles farmers can face. He says the poverty his family faced motivated him to start his company at just 25 years old. “I wanted to create wealth for my generation, and the next couple after me,” he says.
In the warehouse, forklift operator Robin Marcoux moves bags of nutritional products for livestock.
Now, that next generation – Mr. Fontaine has seven children – is becoming involved in the business, with his son, Jean-François, and his daughter, Emilie, serving as vice-presidents, and his son Anthony in charge of customer service.
Jean-François Fontaine, vice-president Groupe JEFO, catches up on paperwork. The winery owned by the family is visible through the window.
The all-encompassing nature of running a company made it natural for his children to come work with him, says Mr. Fontaine. While it can be challenging at times due to the interpersonal relationships involved, it’s also rewarding to have family on his team.
“It’s an equilibrium, for sure, and we just have to be careful about how we handle that,” he says
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Even though he’s been helming Jefo for more than 40 years, you get the sense that Mr. Fontaine is just getting started. The company just built a new $60-million plant, a testament to Mr. Fontaine’s belief in the game-changing nature of this work.
“I love a challenge, I love to exceed expectations,” he says. “As a president, I have to anticipate what the next era will be – and it’s fun to be able to do that.”
Photos credit : Roger Lemoyne
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