It ALL Started When...
Mitchell Marketing Group, dba The Mr. Canary® Company, was incorporated in January 1995. Sisters Jan Long and Christina Mowery started selling The Original Mr. Canary® Finch Feeder, developed by their Dad, Ray Mitchell.
In 2012, Chris retired, and now Jan maintains the 100% Woman-Owned business. Chris, ever the Big Sister, remains a mere speed-dial away for emergency counsel, general moral support, or just one of those laughs that are so big it makes your face look weird.
From 1995 until early 2016, a subcontracted workforce at Carey Services, a community agency in Marion, Indiana (their hometown), handled all production. As part of the many training and support options Carey provides for people with intellectual and physical disabilities, they did all sourcing, assembly, packaging, and shipping of Mr. Canary products.
Today, the spirit of that legacy lives on in our partnership with The Arc of Greater Boone County in Lebanon, Indiana. As Director, Pam spearheads this exciting, mutually beneficial, and joyful enterprise. In the plant, Keith, Christie, Donna, and John inspire and oversee performance miracles ‘on the regular.’ They turn our team into production superstars who come alive with every new challenge.
In 2018, we partnered with another community organization for some of our warehousing and shipping needs. Bosma Enterprises supports, trains, and hires adults who are blind or visually impaired. Their mission is to help each person gain life skills to remain independent and job skills to stay self-sufficient. Brian, Jim & Paul run our direct-to-consumer shipping operation like a well-oiled machine, which has allowed us to build our e-commerce business. (Side note: Jan & Chris’ Mom, Georgia, was legally blind for much of her adult life, which gives this collaboration another personal link to the overall Mr. Canary story.
Mr. Canary® Company operates with a clear aim: to run a business that makes quality products and a little difference in the community. By defying stereotypes and combining enterprise with social responsibility, our partnerships leverage work, not donations, to ignite achievement for all.