Rolf C. Hagen passes away

The death of Rolf C. Hagen, founder of the Canadian pet product manufacturer Rolf C. Hagen Inc., has been announced. Mr Hagen died at his home in Montreal on Saturday 22 October. He was 79. Hagen built up his company as a one-man operation in Canada after emigrating there from Germany in 1955. He started out by exporting bird seed from the Canadian prairie to Germany. His brothers Dieter and Horst followed him to Canada and joined the young company. The Hagen trio formed the first generation of the manufacturer. The second Hagen generation comprising sons Mark, Tom and Rolf Jr. then continued to guide the company’s fortunes. In June 1999, Rolf C. Hagen, who was regarded as a pillar of the pet supplies sector, was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the US industry association APPA. Further honours followed in 2004 with the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Pet Industry Distributors Association for innovative new pet products and his generous support for organisations and people working for the good of pets and humans. The entrepreneur’s merits were recognised in Germany too, and in 1996 Rolf C. Hagen received the Federal Cross of Merit, First Class and in 2005 the Grand Cross on ribbon. In spite of his success as a businessman, Rolf C. Hagen was described by his family as being modest and altruistic throughout his life and as someone to whom durable values such as love, kindness and compassion were important.