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Walter Schep is a young entrepre- neur who has made the decision to chart his life course in the Thunder Bay area. Why? “Lifestyle and op- portunities” in the words of Walter. The oldest child of Margaret and Jacob Schep, of Thunder Oak Cheese fame, Walter (34) purchased the prize-winning Gouda cheese making operation from his parents early this year while his brother Martin (30) assumed the responsibil- ity of running the related dairy farm. Taking over Thunder Oak Cheese wasn’t a decision that was expected or demanded. Growing up, Walter attended Thunder Bay Christian School, FWCI and studied agricul- ture in New Liskard, receiving a Diploma in Dairy Technology in 1992. He worked the family dairy farm until 2001 when, at the request of a trade acquaintance, moved to Manitoba to manage a large poultry operation. Walter and his wife Joanne discovered during their time away how much they missed the topography of Northwestern Ontario, family and the ‘nature’ so readily found in the Slate River Valley. Manitoba was very flat - too flat for them and they realized they really weren’t that fond of chickens either. Back in Thunder Bay, Walter began a new working partnership with Margaret at Thunder Oak Cheese. While he contributed new blood and ideas to the operation, he appreciated that the interaction with all sorts of interesting customers was invigorat- ing and the lifestyle much easier on his family life, particularly in rela- tion to finding time to be with his young children, Jasmine (6) and Silas (4). He generally starts the day very early, is home for lunch and most days will be done between five and six. Thus he can share family responsibilities and evening time with his wife and family. Comple- menting this quality of life is the fact that there are a number of other young farmers in the area, including his brother, that have bought similar dairy or farming operations and this agricultural sector networking is productive, rewarding & stimulating. Walter sees lots of opportunity in the Valley and in his Gouda cheese op- eration. He has a distributor looking to secure contracts with one or two large companies in large urban cen- ters like Toronto, thus developing a share of the growing trend to ‘artisan’ cheeses and fine wines. Another expanding market is tour- ism, capitalizing on the trend of baby boomers to seek ‘authentic’ experiences involving age old tradi- tions such as cheese making. Over 80% of current Thunder Oak Cheese customers buy their cheese right at the manufacturing outlet, verifying the fact that customers like to buy at the source. Thunder Oak’s cheese is made with their own milk containing no preservatives and over which they have complete control from start to finish. As Walter says: “Without good milk, there is no good cheese”. Plans to expand his facility in physi- cal size, manufacturing capacity, product lines and tourism experi- ences are continuing. In the not too distant future, one may be able to make their own round of cheese, have a fondue party or learn to cook with cheese from a master chef at Thunder Oak. One thing’s for cer- tain – you’ll still be able to taste test their delicious products before you buy and Walter will encourage you to do just that. And say cheese… Gouda of course! For appreciating our lifestyle and assuming new entrepreneurial risks, Walter Schep is an Everyday Hero. Everyday Heroes is a Community initiative sponsored by Thunder Bay Ventures. Everywhere in the city there are people living, working, playing and contributing to the fabric of our community. To nominate a hero email: [email protected] To see past heroes go to: www.thunderbayventures.com Walter Schep Say Cheese! by Lois Nuttall Thunder Bay Ventures
