Scott Simmons
Royburn Willis Scott Simmons, the eldest often children of Willis and Ida Simmons, was born on October 4, 1932 in Lewisporte, Newfoundland and spent most of his childhood growing up in the railroad town of Bishop Falls.
During this time he learned the meaning of hard times and molded his working and business career to ensure that his children would not face the same. His success in business came from his hard work, thriftiness, appreciation of the value of money, and willingness to take chances.
During grade school, Scott raised chickens and sold eggs door to door. Before completing high school, he supplemented the family income by becoming a taxi driver. He then moved on to delivering laundry for Hilltop Cleaners in Grand Falls, acquired a job at the Grand Falls branch of The Evening Telegram, and in 1954 was transferred to The Western Star in Corner Brook where he became Assistant General Manager.
In 1969, he made the tough decision to leave The Western Star and work for Lundrigans Limited, as Marketing Manager with Atlantic Design Homes Ltd. A change in jobs did not satisfy his itch for a greater challenge, so after a year, he reluctantly resigned to purchase a business enterprise, Humber Esso Service.
In 1972, what started out as a summer cabin in Pynn's Brook with twelve chickens, two calves and one sheep, developed in four years to become the largest broiler chicken operation in Newfoundland. When Scosim Farms was sold in 1988, it was marketing over six hundred thousand broilers annually.
In 1979 he purchased Hammond Farm and during the next ten years, modernized the 25,000 bird layer building, added a 13,000 bird pullet rearing operation, revitalized the dairy operation to a 120 head herd and modernized the forage operation. Today Hammond Farm produces over 500,000 dozen eggs, 26,000 pullets, 650,000 litres of milk, 20,000 bales of hay and 700 tonnes of silage annually.
In the last twelve years, Scott has been Director of Wesco Co-op Ltd., Director of Western Farm Feeds Ltd., Chairman of the Nfid. Egg Marketing Board, Chairman of the Nfld. Chicken Marketing Board, Chairman of the Canadian Chicken Marketing Agency and Vice-Chairman of the Canadian Egg Marketing Agency. Currently he is a Canadian Representative of the International Egg Commission and involved with the ongoing G.A.T.T. negotiations.
On June 30 of this year, Scott's oldest sons, Bruce and Keith, purchased Hammond Farm Limited. Through the best and the worst times, Scott has enjoyed every moment of his career and one can only hope that he will find just as much enjoyment in his retirement years. Scott and his wife Ruby have five children - three sons and two daughters.
Scott was nominated by the Newfoundland Egg Marketing Board as a worthy inductee into the Atlantic Agricultural Hall of Fame.