The Hogan Family has seen more than its share of challenges but the common thread they’ve pulled from that tangled ball is one composed of resilience, optimism and love.
He thought making maple syrup looked like a fun hobby for him and his family to do together and spent his $200 on equipment to tap the maple trees on their St. Joseph Island property and make syrup. They undertook what Erica called a crazy project to spend 10 months renovating and upgrading the facility during the first year of the pandemic before announcing a soft opening in December of that year."We have a team of 11 full-time people right now," Erica explained.
Their products are regularly inspected and graded by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to ensure they are free of contaminates, pure and safe to consume. She also said their corporate culture is family and team-oriented with a focus on work-life balance. She said that a happy team working well together helps everyone succeed.
When the Hogans took over operations at Superior Maple Products they didn't have a detailed map. It's a key tool that is vital to project planning and without it, they couldn't accurately take inventory of the sugar bush or plan for upgrades, expansions and maintenance. The loss galvanized within them an iron will to appreciate what they had, and to share it with their family, team, neighbours and community.
They also like to get people out to the homestead as often as possible through special events and tours. It's a bit of a drive but it winds through beautiful forests and along the picturesque Goulais River in some areas.Visitors to the homestead generally stay about an hour and a half but the Hogans are planning some activities that will bring more people out and get them to stay longer.