Our Story
About Stephano Group
In food manufacturing since 1978 — building a legacy of quality, innovation, and partnership across North America.
Our Mission
Built on Quality & Partnership
Stephano Group's mission is to become a top producer in the categories we represent while operating a sustainable business and providing enriching careers for our associates and their families.
To be successful in this mission, we maintain our core values: complete commitment to quality and outstanding customer service, paired with ethical and sustainable business principles.
Our History
45+ Years of Growth & Innovation
1978 — The Roots
Founded by Steve "Stephano" Frank & Annette Blaeske
Seeing a market need for an advanced granola cereal offering, Stephano Group introduced innovative products to the marketplace — beginning a 45+ year legacy.
2000 — Growing the Business
Expansion into CPG Manufacturing
Stephanos expanded into CPG manufacturing for Canadian Retailer and Food Service sectors. The second generation began working alongside the founders.
2009 — The Current Era
Private Label Focus & Toronto Relocation
Relocated to Toronto, focused on private label and contract manufacturing. Noah and Sean Frank took prominent leadership roles. In 2017, the current Etobicoke facility was built.
2019 — Extruded Bars Line
Launch of Extruded Bars Line
Stephano Group launched a new extruded bars production line, enabling high-density, high-protein bar formats for the sports nutrition and functional food markets.
2020 — Next Chapter
Two Plants · 120,000 Sq Ft · Allergen-Free Launch
Currently operating two plants (Etobicoke and Woodbridge) totaling 120,000 sq ft. Added allergen-controlled production — launching a product line free from 9 major food allergens.
2021 — Slab Bar Line
Launch of Slab Bar Line
Added a dedicated slab bar production line enabling large-format artisan-style bar manufacturing for premium retail and food service customers.
2024 — Expansion Extrusion Line
Launch of Expansion Extrusion Line
Stephano Group invested in a new expansion extrusion line, significantly increasing extruded product capacity and diversity for both cereal and ingredient markets.
2025 — Extruded Crisps Wholesale
B2B Extruded Grain & Protein Crisps
Launched extruded grain and protein crisps as a wholesale B2B ingredient business, supplying food manufacturers across North America with rice crisps and protein crisps.
Leadership
Our Team
A highly experienced management team with deep industry expertise and a proven track record of driving innovation and growth.
Noah Frank
President
Noah grew up shadowing the sales routes of his father, Steven — "Stephano," the company's founder — and built his craft as an old-school salesman grounded in conversation, relationships and the handshake. As President he leads sales and acquisitions and drives the Group's growth, while coaching talent across every level of the business. An early passion for food safety and food science led him to spearhead the first GFSI food-safety certifications at the Etobicoke plant and to build the Stephano Group Quality & Food Safety Program.
Sean Frank
Chief Executive Officer
A natural leader who continually rethinks traditional business models, Sean drives the Group's infrastructure expansion and modernization. He stays deeply connected to procurement, supply chain, operations, product development and machinery maintenance — nurturing the partnerships and capabilities that keep the company's growth and infrastructure in lockstep.
Hanan Salameh
Director of Finance
A Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) with over 20 years of expertise, Hanan oversees the Group's financial operations — driving sustainable growth through strategic initiatives while optimizing processes, enhancing profitability and ensuring compliance. She leads a finance team built on strong ethics, transparency and financial excellence.
Victor Khurumov
Chief Operating Officer
As COO, Victor oversees day-to-day operations spanning production, supply chain, procurement, R&D, quality assurance, regulatory affairs and IT. He holds an MBA from the Ted Rogers School of Management, a master's in finance from Siberian Federal University and a postgraduate diploma in international business from Humber College — and is known for rapidly mastering subjects from food science to manufacturing to employment law.
Aamir Rashid
Director of Costing & Planning
A dual-qualified FCMA and ACCA, Aamir brings over 15 years of global experience in financial planning, ERP implementation and cost optimization across Canada, the UAE and the USA. He has led large-scale ERP rollouts — Dynamics 365, Oracle R12 and Sage 100 — and specializes in IFRS-compliant reporting, budgeting and data-driven decision-making that aligns financial strategy with business goals.
Leo Vald
VP of Operations
Leo joined Stephano Group in 2023 and leads inbound and outbound logistics, demand and production planning, inventory management and warehouse operations. He brings more than 15 years of operations-management experience from prior leadership roles, and holds an MBA from Toronto Metropolitan University and a postgraduate degree (Honors) in Global Business Management from Humber College.
Research & Development
Innovation Built In-House
Our dedicated R&D team turns concepts into commercial products — from first formulation to market-ready launch — with a relentless focus on innovation across new and emerging categories.
- Dedicated R&D TeamExperienced food scientists and product developers driving new product innovation.
- Regulatory ReviewLabel claim review, compliance guidance, and regulatory support for North American markets.
- Nutrition Facts Table (NFT) CalculationIn-house nutritional analysis and NFT calculation for accurate, compliant labeling.
- On-Site R&D LabRapid prototyping, bench trials, and pilot runs in our own laboratory.
Our Commitment
Quality Assurance
At Stephano Group, "Quality First" is not a slogan — it is the foundational principle that governs every decision, process, and product we make.
Quality First Principle
Every team member at Stephano Group is a stakeholder in our Quality First mandate. The pride of producing safe food at the highest quality is embedded in our culture from the production floor to the boardroom.
BRC "AA" Certification
Repeatedly awarded BRC "AA" certification — the highest achievable grade under the Global Food Safety Standard. This reflects our unwavering commitment to product quality and food security.
Allergen Control Protocols
Comprehensive allergen control protocols are implemented across both manufacturing facilities. Our dedicated allergen-free plant eliminates cross-contamination risk entirely, with rigorous testing and verification at every stage.
Superior Quality Control
Our in-house laboratory performs nutritional facts calculation and testing, food microbiology, chemistry analysis, and shelf-life validation. Comprehensive SOP-driven quality control procedures ensure consistency across every production run.
Compliance
Bill S-211 Compliance Reports
In accordance with the requirements of Bill S-211, our annual reports are available for public access.