The people closest to Jack describe him as a humble visionary entrepreneur known for empowering his team, quietly supporting his community, and for his inspiring leadership as exemplified by his signature line, “Are we having fun yet?” Arriving to Canada from the Netherlands in the 1950s, the Vanderlaan family entered into the poultry business through their family farm. Then known as Port Colborne Poultry, the business focused on providing fresh chickens door-to-door, and at markets. The company evolved based on customer needs, and in 1966, they built their first processing plant with supply coming from local independent growers.
In the early 1970s, Jack and his brother Art bought the business from their parents. Capitalizing on the popularity of the chicken wing, along with other trends and tastes, Port Colborne Poultry acquired an interest in Pinty’s Premium Foods in the late 1990s. The deal was rooted in company business niches and complementary family values.
A few years later the families merged the two companies and began operations under its current name, Pinty’s Delicious Foods Inc. With Jack at the helm, Pinty’s has become the largest chicken wing producer in Canada, employing over 450 people with three processing plants across Ontario, a head office, and sales people throughout the country.
Today, the Pinty’s name is associated with large-scale events like the Grey Cup, Nascar, and anywhere else chicken wings are sold. Representing premium quality and fresh taste, Jack Vanderlaan and Pinty’s has succeeded in putting the fun into eating.