On behalf of Robert Irving, we would like to thank you for the invitation and the opportunity to appear before this committee today. Our operating structure at J.D. Irving isn't commonly known, so it might benefit the committee if I gave a very brief description of where Cavendish Farms is within the organization.
At J.D. Irving Limited we have six operating divisions: forest products, consumer products, shipbuilding, retail and distribution, food products, and transportation. We often describe ourselves as a plural organization. We have two co-CEOs, led by brothers Jim and Robert Irving. We have two corporate offices located in Saint John, New Brunswick, and in Dieppe, New Brunswick. Jim Irving predominantly takes care of the forest products, shipbuilding, and the retail and distribution divisions, and Robert Irving takes care of the consumer products, food, and transportation divisions.
My role of corporate relations encompasses community investment, sponsorship and donations, philanthropy, and government relations for the organization. I play a support role to each of the subject matter experts within the independent operating businesses, and it's in this capacity that I'm joining my colleague today, Vince Taddeo.
Vincent is well qualified to be here today. He has over 39 years of international trade experience, all within the food sector, so I'll turn it back to Vince.