As you might guess, giving the prime minister a tour of the plant must proceed according to certain rules of protocol. So you can imagine the complex customs, procedures and etiquette to be followed when a member of the royal family decides to tour our facilities! In 1991, it was up to Mario Allaire, then Lassonde’s head of public relations, to master those formalities in a hurry when the princess of Thailand, Chulabhorn Mahidol, came to Rougemont.

By whom should she be greeted her? By what title should she be addressed? How far away to stand from her? In what order should the flags of Thailand, Quebec and Canada be arranged? All these questions took on great importance for the maintenance of good relations between Lassonde and Thailand.

A real partnership had developed between the Company and the southeast Asian nation around the production of pineapple juice. Lassonde purchased large quantities of pineapple juice concentrate from Thai producers at preferential rates and in exchange the Company supplied them with equipment and training in pressing methods. Surprisingly, apples and pineapples have a number of similarities, including their firm texture which makes full juice extraction difficult. Princess Chulabhorn’s visit was a crowning moment for the fruitful relationship between the two parties.

The princess had impressive credentials. She had a PhD and was a university professor specializing in chemistry, natural product synthesis and research on the medicinal plants of Thailand. She was also the winner of the Unesco Albert Einstein gold medal for her work in promoting scientific cooperation among countries in the Asia Pacific region.

Princess Chulabhorn was pleased with her visit, at least if her smile and the gifts she bestowed on the members of the management team are anything to go on. And Mario Allaire breathed a big sigh of relief!

Next column: A social commitment…