In December 2024, Don Mills and David Campbell had a rare and exclusive opportunity to interview Robert K. Irving on the Insights podcast.
Mr. Irving passed away on May 19, 2026.
This is a re-release of that Insights podcast.
In the podcast, the Co-CEO of JD Irving shared information about the companies under his direction, their continued growth, major recent capital investments and succession. Robert, along with his brother Jim Irving, oversaw Midland Trucking, Midland Courier, Irving Tissue and Cavendish Farms, amongst others. They are operated out of a head office in Dieppe and employ more than 2,000 people in the Moncton area alone, including 700 head office jobs.
JDI may not be a household name for all Canadians, but it’s the largest vertically integrated conglomerate in Atlantic Canada and one of the biggest in Canada, with more than 20,000 employees.
This is a surprisingly candid conversation with one of the region’s most important yet reticent business leaders, who shared many facts not previously known publicly.
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