Saskatchewan Agricultural Hall of Fame

Fred S. Mendel

Fred S. Mendel, a respected Saskatchewan-based meat packer who actively built markets for this provinceís livestock products, was born Dec. 18, 1888, in Recklinghausen in the Ruhr Valley of Germany. He expanded his fatherís meat wholesaling business into a meat packing empire with branches in Poland, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Rumania and Bulgaria.

Fred and his family were forced to leave Germany when the Nazis began their persecution of Jews. He acquired a building in Saskatoon and, in 1940, launched Intercontinental Packers. He also built a packing enterprise in Australia, hence the name Intercontinental.

Initially the meat packer specialized in canned hams for the United States market (Time magazine called him "The Ham Man") but a trade embargo ended that business. For the next five years the firm focused on providing bacon for Britain, one of Canadaís important contributions to the war effort. Saskatchewan farmers entered the hog business in a big way and the Mendel plant prepared the Wiltshire sides for transport to Britain.

After the war Mendel had to change his operations to compete for the Canadian market. He built plants in Regina, Red Deer and Vancouver and the company succeeded. At the time of Fred Mendelís passing in 1976, Intercontinental was one of Canadaís "Big Five" meat packers.

Fred Mendel was a major contributor to his community and province. He provided assistance for extension projects for Saskatchewan farmers, prizes for their livestock exhibits at fairs and exhibitions. He was a major contributor in the building of the Mendel Art Gallery in Saskatoon.

In 1971 he was given the Canadian Industrial Development Award for a citizen who made the most significant contribution to Canadaís industrial development, the only Saskatchewan resident and the only meat packer to receive the award. In 1965 in recognition of his contributions to the province Fred Mendel received an honorary doctor of laws degree from the University of Saskatchewan. In 1974 he was installed into the Order of Canada. He died in 1976 at the age of 87, still active in his last year as chairman of the board of Intercontinental Packers Ltd.

Intercontinental Packers Ltd. is a major contributor to the new College of Agriculture building on the University of Saskatchewan Campus. This year the company that Mr. Mendel formed will celebrate their 50th Anniversary, still under the management of his family.

"Nominated for Saskatchewan Agriculture Hall of Fame 1990
by the Saskatchewan Pork Producers Marketing Board, The Saskatchewan
Livestock Association and the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association"

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