Our History

The Elite Meat Company is a Federally Inspected meat processing facility (Federal Establishment #752) and is HACCP Recognized since 2001.

The company, owned by Dan, and Sasha Milanovic, has evolved from a very successful, family retail meat business, located on Toronto’s Danforth Avenue, founded in 1975, by their parents, Roy and Luba Milanovic. Both Dan and Sasha grew up, helping and working with their parents, learning the meat business, and the customer business!

In 1994, Dan and Sasha opened D&S Meat Products Ltd., in Ajax, Ontario, as a Federally Inspected meat processing plant, supplying new, and our long term customers from the Danforth Avenue location, with Peameal Bacon, Sausage, Pork Cuts and Ground and Diced Beef, Pork, Veal and Lamb, for further processors, retailers and food service distributors.

We have been fortunate to see success and growth since launching D&S Meat Products Ltd. Many new opportunities for business development in our four product categories have been realized. Until 2006, D&S Meat Products Ltd. serviced a regional market in Ontario from our small, but efficient Federally Inspected processing plant in Ajax, Ontario.

Our growth qualified the need for expansion that would allow for North American capabilities. In the fall of 2006, our expanded plant opened, five times the previous capacity and with many new customers and capabilities.

In 2008, D&S Meat Products Ltd. responded to the heightening trade awareness and growth of our brand “The Elite Meat Company®”. In 2008, we formally changed the company name to “The Elite Meat Company”, (A Division of D&S Meat Products Ltd.).

 

Another new brand, “The Elite Meat Peameal Bacon Company^®” was launched to further build our thriving Peameal Bacon business. The brand represents our Peameal Bacon category as the marquis of this premium product which is now the number one Peameal Bacon brand in food service, across Canada. Our 40 year old un-touched recipe and process is what holds it above all others in the market as truly “A Slice of Canadian Tradition!”^®

Our other categories include a wide variety of sausage products, fresh and frozen pork cuts, and ground and diced beef, pork, veal, lamb and poultry for food service, further processing and retail.

From our beginning in 1994, with 5 staff, to our current 45 staff made up of production, quality assurance, logistics, sales, administration and a focused, ambitious and dedicated management team, we stand behind the heritage of our history and learning’s from our beginnings on Danforth Avenue, together.

Cardinal purchases The Elite Meat Company

BRAMPTON, ON, May 28, 2018. Cardinal Meat Specialists Limited (Cardinal), a family owned, leading producer and marketer of fully cooked proteins and burgers, announced that it has acquired 100% interest in Ontario based D&S Meat Products Ltd., operating under The Elite Meat Company name.

The Elite Meat Company (Elite Meat) is a family owned and operated company famous for its commitment to family recipes and Canada’s best Peameal Bacon. It produces the only “All Canadian” and certified Gluten Free Peameal Bacon, from an old, traditional recipe, using only fresh Canadian pork. Elite Meat owns the number one food service position in Peameal Bacon across Canada. The company also makes a wide range of excellent sausage products, including three varieties of all Canadian pure pork breakfast sausage, eight varieties of BBQ / Dinner sausage, and a variety of European specialty sausages and chevaps.

“The Elite Meat Company’s portfolio adds to Cardinal’s unique capabilities to serve its retail and food service customer base. This acquisition will not only expand our portfolio of products, it will also give us additional sausage capability and a solid platform in the breakfast day part,” said Mr. Brent Cator, President and Owner of Cardinal Meats Specialists. “With Dan Milanovic joining the Cardinal team, we will further enhance the depth of our protein platforms and customer base,” added Mr. Cator. “I am thrilled to join Cardinal Meat Specialists where I have found a match in family values and approach to serving customers,” said Mr. Dan Milanovic, President & CEO of D&S Meat Products Ltd.. “My brother Sasha and I are very proud of our team, our culture and our products which have grown substantially since the company was started by my parents, Radovan & Luba Milanovic on Gerrard and Coxwell in the early 70s.

“I look forward to working with the team at Cardinal and its Customer base to help accelerate the Elite brands’ growth across Canada”, added Mr. Milanovic.

Yours Truly,
Dan Milanovic
President

ABOUT CARDINAL MEATS SPECIALISTS LIMITED

Cardinal Meat Specialists has custom created a broad range of specialty products from burgers to fully cooked proteins servicing both retail and food service customers across Canada. The company’s roots trace to Jack Cator starting on the farm and then running butcher shops, followed by son Ralph who elevated the business to protein processing in the 60’s under the Cardinal name. Now under the stewardship of third generation Brent Cator, Cardinal Meat Specialists serves its customers with state-of-the-art technology to provide the safest, most consistent and of highest quality products possible.

For further information, please contact Brent Cator, President and CEO at (905) 459-4436 extension 245.
www.cardinalmeats.com