A.E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd. printed its first seed catalogue in 1896. This catalogue contained listings of Field grains - Peas, Beans, Flax and Corn, Field grasses, clovers and alfalfa, Field root seed, Lawn grass mixtures and miscellaneous items such as household flour, grain and cereal products for stock, hay, and sack and bags of all kinds. In 1900, with their 4th annual catalogue, McKenzie Seeds added Garden Seeds (both Vegetable and Flowers) for the first time. Up until the late 1960's, at which time the Company began withdrawing from the Field seed market, McKenzie Seeds continued to print an annual catalogue with similar listings to that described above.
In the mid 1960's, McKenzie Seeds discontinued its catalogue in order to nurture the growth of the catalogue printed by its subsidiary McFayden Seeds. When McKenzie Seeds first acquired McFayden Seeds in 1941 the two companies continued to exist independently, printing their own catalogues. However as the home gardening industry grew, the decision was made to focus on McFayden due to its established and growing reputation of as a leader in the mail order industry. In 2001 McKenzie Seeds continued to print both the McFayden catalogue as well as the catalogue of one of its other subsidiaries, McConnell Seeds. These catalogues are distributed to over one million Canadian homes every year.
Custodial History
See fonds level description of custodial history of A. E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd.
Scope and Content
This sub-series contains a variety of records related to marketing, including catalogues for McKenzie Seeds, and a number of other seed businesses, seed packets, sales literature and miscellaneous marketing papers.
Catalogues within the sub-series include those for the A.E. McKenzie Seed Co., McFayden Seed Co., as well as a number of catalogues published by McKenzie Co. suppliers and competitors. These included Lindburg Seeds, Vesey's, Stokes, Gill Bros. Seed Company, Robertson Seeds, Burpee, Ferry Morse, Keith's Seeds, Harris Seeds, and the Dominion Seed House. Fonds also includes a number of catalogues from companies that became part of McKenzie Seeds, such as McConnell, Brett-Young Seeds and Pike & Co. The McKenzie catalogues from approximately 1901 to 1915 are particularly high in production values.
Within the sub-series a variety of seed packets, divided into vegetables, flowers and herbs, sold by McKenzie Seeds/McKenzie Steele Briggs Seeds are included. In addition, there are also seed packets sold by Steele Briggs, Pike & Co., Card Seed Co. (Fredonia, N.Y), McFayden Seeds, and Wm. Reenie Seeds.
This sub-series also includes sales literature used by McKenzie Seeds, McKenzie Steele-Briggs Seeds, and McFayden Seeds. Some of the McKenzie literature is in French. In addition, there is some sales literature from America and Europe, particularly Holland and Denmark.
As well, the sub-series contains three miscellaneous papers, dealing with marketing. The Salesman's Booster, and The Salesman's Manual, were both edited and/or written by A.E. McKenzie. The third paper is a survey by D.N. Whittam entitled An Independent Survey and Analysis of the U.K. Seed Market with recommendations for launching a new brand for McKenzie Steele Briggs Seeds, Brandon, Manitoba'.
This sub-series also includes one file containing contracts between McKenzie Seeds and the Mortimer Co. Ltd. pertaining to the printing of the McKenzie Catalogue from 1926-1933.
The sub-series is divided into four sub sub series, including: (1) Catalogues; (2) Seed Packets; (3) Miscellaneous Sales Literature Documents; and (4) Miscellaneous Marketing Papers/Reports.
Notes
Specific dates for some of the catalogues in this series can be found below.
McKenzie Catalogues -- 1897-1898, 1900, 1904-1906, 1908-1912, 1914-1933, 1961, 1964-1966
McFayden Catalogues -- 1933-1935, 1954-1959, 1961-1966, 1968-1974, 1978-1995
Pike & Co. -- 1957-1970, 1972-1984
McConnell -- 1990-1995
Brett-Young Seeds -- 1974
Storage Location
RG 3 A.E. McKenzie Company fonds
McS 2 Office of the President/General Manager
Related Material
Information on both McKenzie Seeds catalogues and The Salesman's Booster are located in the A.E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd. fonds in Series 2 (Office of the President/GM), sub-series 2 (J. Lasby Lowes). File 2 contains materials relating to The Salesman's Booster while files 8 (Tape 22), 9, 10 (Tape 23) and 34 include information relating to McKenzie seed catalogues.
Additional information about the printing of the McKenzie catalogue and seed packets can be found in the A.E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd. fonds in Series 2 (Office of the President/GM), sub-series 1 (A.E. McKenzie) in the file of correspondence between McKenzie and The Mortimer Co.
Originals and reproductions of various catalogues and sales literature are located in Series 6 (Miscellaneous), sub-series 1 (Centennial Exhibit) of the A.E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd. fonds.
Arrangement
The sub-series is arranged as follows:
Catalogues (1897-1995; 51 cm)
Seed Packets (c. 1939-c.1990's; 64 cm)
Miscellaneous Sales Literature (no dates; 24 cm)
Miscellaneous Papers (1928, 1942, 1981; 2.3 cm)
Proceedings of the public hearings : proposal for a national chicken marketing plan : November 10, 1976-Edmonton, Alberta, November 12, 1976-Moncton, New Brunswick, November 15-16, 1976-Ottawa, Ontario
The offices of the President and General Manager were established in 1896 with the creation of A. E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd. These positions were held jointly by the one officer of company until 1975, when the Board of Directors of the Company divided the two positions, thereby relieving the President from management of plant operations.
Under the General By-Laws of the Company, the President, when present, presided over all Board of Directors meetings. He also signed all documents that may have required his signature and performed any other duties assigned to him by the board. The President exercised general supervision and control over the business of the Company and performed such duties as are usually associated with the office of President of Chief Executive officer of a company.
The General Manager had full power and authority to manage and direct the business and affairs of the Company. He was also responsible for employing and discharging agents and employees of the Company. After A.E. McKenzie gifted the majority of his company shares to the Government of Manitoba in 1945, the General Manager remained responsible for all operations of the Company. However, the General Manager found himself accountable to a Board of Directors comprised mainly of government appointees.
A. E. McKenzie held the offices of President/General Manager from 1896 until his death in 1964, at which time J. Lasby Lowes succeeded him. Following Lowes' retirement in 1968, A.R. Swanson was appointed by the government to fill the positions. Anthony J. Maruca became President of A.E. McKenzie Co. Ltd. in 1972. In 1975, the Board of Directors appointed William Moore the first individual to hold the position of General Manager without also occupying the President's office. At the same time, Mr. Pat Kelleher was named the new interim President. Following Kelleher's resignation, Moore was appointed President of the company. Keith Guelpa became President around 1984 following Moore's departure from the company to face criminal charges arising from his activities as an officer of the company. Raymond West assumed the position after Guelpa’s departure.
Custodial History
See fonds level description of custodial history of A. E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd.
Scope and Content
Series consists almost entirely of records and documents generated by the first two President/General Managers of A.E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd. In addition to the records created by A.E. McKenzie and J. Lasby Lowes in their capacity as President/General Manager, records pertaining to the various properties owned by the Company are also included. The series also contains marketing documents, including catalogues and sales literature, as well as a reference library comprised of twenty titles dealing with business and the seed industry and some records dealing with the President/General Managers following Lowes' retirement.
The series has been divided into seven sub-series, including: (1) A.E. McKenzie; (2) J. Lasby Lowes; (3) Comptroller; (4) Properites; (5) Marketing; (6) Reference Library; and (7) Miscellaneous Publications/Correspondence.
Storage Location
RG 3 A.E. McKenzie Company fonds
McS 2 Office of the President/General Manager
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