Mike Timani President Fancy Pokket Corporation Moncton, New Brunswick

Mike Timani is President of Fancy Pokket Corporation in Moncton, the largest producer of pita bread, bagels and tortilla wraps in Atlantic Canada.

Born in Venezuela but a native of Lebanon, Mike came to Canada at the age of 21 and studied Hotel Management at Ryerson Polytechnical Institute in Toronto.

He started his career in the hospitality industry with Hilton Hotels in Toronto and was then transferred to Hilton Saint John, NB to assist in the opening of the hotel/convention center.  During his time with Hilton International he held 14 positions within the food and beverage department leading up to Food and Beverage Director in charge of 200 employees.

In June 1989 Mike set up a Lebanese-style 74 seat restaurant named “Fancy Pokket” on Main Street in Moncton, he also opened a 1000 sq. ft. bakery under the same name manufacturing pita bread on Albert St.  In April 1990, the bakery expanded to a 4,000 sq. ft. to a location on St. George Blvd with further automation.

In 1995 the high demand for his products caused him to move to his current location on St. George Blvd. a 24,000 sq. ft. plant, which was expanded to 32,500 sq. ft. in 2001.  The plant houses state-of-the-art equipment and currently employs 50 people.

Fancy Pokket produces a wide range of pitas, tortillas, pizza crusts, flatbreads, PitaToasters, Panini bread and bagels that are sold both under the Fancy Pokket label and several private labels in Canada and the Caribbean.

His marketing strategy has been to listen to what people want and then do his best to exceed their expectations with very high quality and healthy products.

• Mike is President of the Atlantic Food & Beverage Processors Association (previously the New Brunswick Food & Beverage Processors Association)
• Board of directors for the National Seafood Sector Council
• Co-chair for the advisory committee for the Food Council of Canada
• President of the Lebanese Association
• Board of directors for the Multicultural Association of Moncton
• Held the position of Vice-President of the Atlantic Canada Food Export Partnership for over two years.

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