W.T. HAWKINS PRESIDENT KENT HAWKINS DISCUSSES CHEEZIES^® NEXT 75 YEARS AT COMPANY'S DIAMOND JUBILEE CELEBRATION

BELLEVILLE, ON, June 27, 2024 /CNW/ - W.T. Hawkins president, Kent Hawkins, third generation of the family to run the company that gave Canada Cheezies^®, told guests at the company's Diamond Jubilee celebrations today in Belleville, "We've had 75 years of phenomenal success with Canadian consumers with a great original product: Cheezies^®. I intend to lead this company into its next 75 years of success with Cheezies^®."

Hawkins was speaking at an event to mark the company's Diamond Anniversary.  "It was exactly 75 years ago, to this day, that my Grandfather Willard Trice Hawkins incorporated W.T. Hawkins Ltd, opened the Hawkins' Tweed plant and began making Cheezies^®" and we are still using the original formulation.

"Why would I mess with success?  I am not going to do any messing, but we are moving to modernize what we do and how we do it.  We have already begun."

Hawkins described the process and productivity efficiencies that have been achieved under his management of the company and those that are being contemplated.

He noted that incremental changes that cumulatively amount to great improvements, such as mechanizing the movement of Cheezies^® from the kitchen to the packaging area, had greatly increased the amount of product ultimately going out the door.

Hawkins said that, given the physical limitations imposed by the current physical plant, which was originally built in the 1800s and is growing old and tired, the company had recently purchased from the City of Belleville the land on which the company's 75^th Jubilee celebration was being held. 

"We bought the land with the intention of building a new, more modern, more efficient Cheezies^® factory, with greater capacity, to help us meet the continually growing demand for our product…for Cheezies^®," he said.

"No formal announcement will be made until after all the details – financing, designing, etc. – are finalized," he added.

Cheezies^® also is renovating and updating its online presence; its new website and social media accounts are being launched. 

"Our company is being dragged into the 21st century, excitedly but with just a little bit of screaming and kicking," Hawkins said. "Today, we went live with our new, modernized website ( www.cheezies.com ).  Our social media accounts are now live.  Our username is @hawkinscheeziesofficial and you may wish to check in from time to time."

To begin with, according to Hawkins,"Cheezies^® will be found on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.

"Along with being pleased with the productivity and other improvements we have accomplished and are contemplating, I am very happy, very proud and absolutely delighted to say that there will be at least as many workers at our proposed new plant as at the existing plant." He said. "Automation and mechanization are great but not as great as having great people working for you."

"One thing that will never change, however, as long as a Hawkins is running this company, Cheezies^® will continue to offer the same lip-smacking and finger-licking flavour and texture experience our consumers have enjoyed for the past three-quarters of a century. 

Approximately 400 Cheezies^® fans from around the country gathered in Belleville on the site of the proposed new Cheezies^® plant, to celebrate W.T. Hawkins' Diamond Jubilee.

SOURCE W.T. Hawkins Inc.