1950's
1958 Will Willemsen born in Chatham, Ontario
1960's
1965 First job picking strawberries in Blenheim, Ontario
1980's
1980 Graduated Universty of Western Ontario, Mathematics
1980-1982 General manager at Cedar Springs Cherry Growers (food processing plant in Blenheim)
1982 Founded SUNRIPE at 1119 Lakeshore Road, Sarnia with $2,000 cash, a 1978 Ford econoline van and a $10,000 loan from a friend
1983 Leased second SUNRIPE store on London Road, Sarnia
1984 Bought property across the street on Lakeshore in Sarnia and moved the SUNRIPE store
1984 Hired Fred Ovens, a retired baker to add bakery to Lakeshore SUNRIPE store
1985 Tore down an old plaza with laundermat and hardware store on Lakeshore Road
1985 Sarnia and District Chamber of Commerce Outstanding Business Achievment Award
1985 Built an LCBO store and new bakery on the SUNRIPE Lakeshore road property
1985 Ontario Chamber of Commerce Outstanding Business Achievement Award of Merit
1986 Added meat and deli to Lakeshore store
1989 Met Ingrid Penton at a farm market conference in Dayton, Ohio
1989 Sarnia Lambton outstanding Business Achievement Award
1990's
1990 Married Ingrid from Lorain, Ohio (near Cleveland)
1991 Ingrid’s dad passes suddenly from heart attack, Ingrid returns home to run family market
1992 Ingrid hires manager to run family market in Lorain, and moves back to Canada
1993 London Road, Sarnia SUNRIPE store lease not renewed
1995 Ingrid’s sister, Kirsten, and brother-in-law quit corporate jobs to run Penton family market
1995 Started buying student rental properties in London, Ontario
1996 Kysa and Ryall twins born at St. Josephs, London Ontario
1998 Renovated Sarnia SUNRIPE store to add large produce cooler and loading dock
2000's
2001 Mia is born at St. Josephs, London Ontario
2003 Sarnia SUNRIPE store awarded Bronze in Canadian Federation of Independent Grocer of the year awards
2004 Tore down ten rental properties in London to build Adelaide SUNRIPE store
2004 Sarnia SUNRIPE store awarded Gold in Canadian Federation of Independent Grocer of the Year awards
2005 Opened London SUNRIPE store at Oxford and Adelaide
2005 Sarnia SUNRIPE store awarded Bronze in Canadian Federation of Independent Grocer of the Year awards
2006 Adelaide SUNRIPE store awarded Bronze in Canadian Federation of Independent Grocer of the Year awards
2007 Bought Huron Bowl (bowling alley on Murphy Road, Sarnia)
2009 Bought Shell gas station on Lakeshore Road, Sarnia
2009 Adelaide SUNRIPE store awarded Bronze in Canadian Federation of Independent Grocer of the Year awards
2009 Demolished bowling alley and gas station
2010's
2010 London SUNRIPE store awarded Silver in Canadian Federation of Independent Grocer of the year awards
2010 Built new 16,000 square foot SUNRIPE store on Lakeshore Road
2011 Sarnia SUNRIPE store awarded Gold in Canadian Federation of Independent Grocer of the Year awards
2011 Expanded Adelaide SUNRIPE store with new prepared food kitchen
2012 Adelaide SUNRIPE store awarded Bronze in Canadian Federation of Grocer of the Year awards
2012 Sarnia SUNRIPE store awarded Plantinum by CFIG and inducted into the Canadian Grocer Hall of Fame
2013 Adelaide SUNRIPE store awarded Gold in Canadian Federation of Grocer of the Year awards
2015 Started construction of Hyde Park SUNRIPE store
2015 Adelaide SUNRIPE store awarded Platinum in Canadian Federation of Independent Grocer of the Year awards and inducted into the Canadian Grocer Hall of Fame.
2016 Hyde Park SUNRIPE store opened in March.
2017 SUNRIPE is awarded Sarnia-Lambton Chamber of Commerce Outstanding Business Achievements Award for Marketing and Promotion.
2017 Ryall passes Freightliner driving test
A Passion for Freshness.
You may have heard that you are what you eat. The pleasure of food is like a flight through the tastes of the world. From the strawberry fields only miles from your home to the vineyards of grapes in California, to the orchards of cherries in Chile and the kiwi groves in New Zealand. The world teases your palette, with exciting flavours. Join Will, SUNRIPE’s owner as he travels the Toronto Food Terminal early each morning to bring the world’s indulgences to your doorstep. See how SUNRIPE brings freshness to a new level for your family to enjoy.
