Rolf C. Hagen Scholarship for Emerging Leaders in Retail & Commercial Services

Rolf C. Hagen was born in 1932, the third of 10 children, in a small seaside town in northern Germany. In 1955, Hagen negotiated passage to North America on a small freighter departing from Bordeaux, France. During the voyage, Hagen worked as kitchen help and then as stevedore unloading cargo upon arrival in Newfoundland. However, Hagen’s sights were set on the province of Quebec, and he arrived in Montreal on May 7, at age 22. Just two days after his arrival, he established Rolf C. Hagen Inc. 

While setting up his importing company, Hagen developed a plan to grow specialty seeds for export back to Germany. Hagen travelled across Ontario and Western Canada, selling this innovative idea to farmers who believed this ambitious young man and provided the means to grow the business. During these early days, Rolf C. Hagen Inc. introduced two cultivars, rapeseed (now called canola) and, rich Polish sunflower seed; both of which are still major crops in Canada. 

In his life, Hagen was honoured with many awards: In 1999, he was inducted into the American Pet Products Association Hall of Fame, the highest honour in the pet industry; In 2004, he was awarded Lifetime Achievement Award from the Pet Industry Distributors Association; and, In 2005, he was awarded The Highest Order of Merit (Grosses Bundesverdienstkreuz am Band) by the President of Federal Republic of Germany, the highest honour bestowed upon a civilian by Germany. Rolf C. Hagen, passed away in Montreal on Saturday, October 22, 2011. 

In recognition of his ambition, his leadership, his generosity and his dedication to improve the lives of pets and people, Urban Animal™ has named the Emerging Leader Scholarship in Retail and Commercia Services as the ‘Rolf C. Hagen Scholarship’. 

In 2014, two such scholarships will be awarded and the recipients will be recognized during the Urban Animal™ Foundation Dinner on Thursday evening, October 23rd.

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