Standing Ovation for Joe Hudson at Friday’s Leeds-Grenville Economic Development Summit

Hudson received this year’s Bill Thake Memorial Award for Economic Development Leadership

Kemptville – Warden’s Award winner Joe Hudson received a standing ovation from the sell-out crowd at the Leeds Grenville 15th Anniversary Economic Development Summit held in North Grenville on Friday.

The Bill Thake Memorial Award for Economic Development Leadership was accepted by two of Joe’s daughters – Burnbrae Farms President Margaret Hudson and Sue Hudson, Director, Communications and Digital Marketing – at the event Friday.

“Our father Joe Hudson, and the entire Hudson family and everyone at Burnbrae, are all very grateful for this recognition,” Margaret Hudson said in addressing the summit audience of more than 200 business and political leaders. She noted her father wanted to attend but his health does not permit him to travel.

“We are very proud to have contributed to the economic development in the area for over 130 years and continue to do so,” Margaret said. Burnbrae Farms is a 6th generation family business employing more than 400 people locally and 1,700 at facilities from coast to coast to coast, she said.

It started from a humble beginning in the 1940s with Joe and his brother Grant working on a high school agricultural project with 50 laying hens. This small venture would eventually transform the Burnbrae Farms original dairy and crop-based family farm into one of the largest egg and egg-product producers in Canada.

Mr. Hudson, now retired, spent more than 75 years building the award-winning company that is also one of the Canada Best Managed Companies (Platinum Level).