Our reputation is our stake in the game.
A short bit of history can go a long way.
Founded in 1978 by Terry Chambers and thriving under the current management of his son, Chris Chambers, Purkel seeks to improve the process for procuring fruit juice ingredients. We’ve been in the business for over 40 years, and we’re the food and beverage industry’s source for the distribution of fruit juice concentrates, not from concentrate juices and juice purees.
After growing up on military bases in St. Jean, Quebec and Borden, Ontario, Terry Chambers left camp Borden for the bright lights of Toronto in 1967 (a good year to be a Leaf fan).
In 1978, while working in the historic Canada Life Building on University Avenue, two things happened that forever changed the trajectory of not only the Chambers family but also the juice industry. First, Terry met his coworker, Linda Campbell, whom he would later marry. Second, he accepted a position to work with the legendary Peter Smith—previously of W.P. Smith Trading from the UK—who had settled in Canada and set up shop in the historic Harbor Commissioners Building in downtown Toronto, overlooking Lake Ontario. Terry took a calculated yet risky entrepreneurial move and the rest is—as they say—history. His building of Purkel has paid dividends and will continue for future generations.
Our Team
We’re proud of our combined experience of over 120 years in the the food and beverage industry. Our tenured and qualified in-house personnel can confidently assist your team with the entire fruit juice ingredient procurement process. From product development, sourcing and sampling, to warehousing, logistics, quality assurance and financing—we’re your comprehensive resource for fruit juice importation and distribution.
Our experience proves not only our dependability but also the quality of our products. We’re here to form long-term partnerships with our customers and work together as a team to service your juice purchasing requirements. With sales offices located in Toronto (CA) and Anna Maria Island (Tampa, USA), and refrigerated and frozen distribution centers strategically located in New York, Illinois, Texas, California, Ontario, Quebec, Netherlands and South Africa, Purkel efficiently serves our domestic and international customers.
Chris Chambers
Origin: Scarborough, Ontario, Canada
Title: Owner Principal
Chris joined Purkel in April 1999 after a short and sweet post-secondary education in London, Ontario. Starting in by-product and bulk wine sales in his early days, he now handles all things related to grapefruit, apple and lemon juice products. When not working, traveling to trade shows or visiting our various juice processors around the globe, Chris enjoys playing golf, board sports, grilling and spending time with his wife, Katie, and young family in Florida.
Lisa Brakefield
Origin: Brooklyn, New York, USA
Title: Managing Director
Lisa is a Human Resources & Operations professional with a background in the auto, CATV, agricultural farming, and insurance industries with 25 years experience in the small to medium size company space. Strong problem solving, ops planning & client/vendor relationship building is what Lisa brings to the table to round out the Purkel team. Based in sunny Florida, Lisa enjoys golf, boating, the beach, and spending time with family whenever possible.
Mike Brakefield
Origin: Greenville, South Carolina, USA
Title: Director of Sales, Oils, Essences & IQF Fruit
Mike began his career in coastal NC in the large equipment sales business. This led to an opportunity in the CATV industry doing excavation work which led to aerial & underground construction contracts and ultimately Project Management in the US and 25 countries worldwide. Mike has also been in the agricultural farming business for the last 20 years in SC, working a family-owned farm and 2000+ acres, planting corn, wheat, soybeans, and a specific growth plan of green beans for Del Monte in the US. Mike enjoys golf, boating, watching sports, and spending time with his 6 grandchildren. He enjoys a coastal lifestyle in Anna Maria, FL with his wife, Lisa, and a farm life in SC as often as possible.
Boyd Beasley
Origin: Winter Haven, Florida, USA
Title: Director of Sales, Juice Products
Boyd is a proven professional with an extensive background in the juice and beverage fields on a national and international scale, having worked for Rio Grande Juice Company. He has over 35 years of experience in the USA citrus industry in a variety of roles that include manufacturing, procurement and sales. Based in Florida and an expert in assisting Purkel’s customers with product needs, Boyd is a true asset to the team.
MaryEllen Brothers
Origin: Long Island, New York, USA
Title: Procurement Specialist
MaryEllen has been in the purchasing arena for over 30 years. She was part of the Apple & Eve group where she was responsible for the procurement of packaging, ingredients and juice concentrates. MaryEllen attributes her success with having the good fortune of aligning herself with top quality suppliers. The long standing relationships created mutually beneficial results. She looks forward to contributing to Purkel’s bottom line.
Fely Burdeos
Origin: Mindanao, Philippines
Title: Logistics Coordinator
Fely was born in the Mindanao province in the Philippines and immigrated to Toronto, Canada in 2014. She joined Purkel in early 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic came onto the scene. Fely has become a valuable asset to the team in her support role. Whether customers need a rush sample, a freight rate from Manilla to Miami, or updated kosher and quality assurance documents, she's Purkel’s effective point-of-contact.
Kathy Ann Gadoo
Origin: Trinidad and Tobago
Title: Controller
Kathy is an Innovative Finance Specialist with over 12+ years of Full Cycle Accounting expertise in the construction, distribution, sales and services industry. She is analytical and detailed-oriented with a robust history of supporting business operations. Kathy is committed to producing quality results by cultivating partnerships with diverse teams in fast-paced, high-stakes environments. Based in Toronto, Kathy is honoured to be part of the Purkel team and looks forward to contributing her knowledge and expertise.
Notable Alumni
Terry Chambers
Years Active at Purkel: 1978 - 2015
Terry is the founder of Purkel. In his storied, thirty-five year career, he made several bold moves and took calculated risks, which ultimately proved to be the foundation of the company. His vision can be credited for much of the success that the company now enjoys. His son, Chris, joined him in working for Purkel in 1999. They dominated the juice industry together for sixteen years as a father and son team until Terry traded in his briefcase for his golf bag and retired in 2015. He now spends his days split between Toronto, Canada and Longboat Key, Florida, USA chasing around golf balls and his grandchildren.
Linda Chambers
Years Active at Purkel: 1993 - 2002
Linda was born in Toronto, Canada and spent her youth in Scarborough and 'the beaches' in Canada. After retiring from competitive gymnastics as an athlete (and later, judge), she was in the insurance business with Canada Life. She then went to nursing school to become a Nurse Assistant. Nursing was a natural fit given Linda’s care-giving and take-charge mentality. After a lengthy and decorated nursing career, Linda retired from Shouldice Hospital and came on board to help the team at Purkel. After a breast cancer diagnosis that would change her life forever (but for the better), Linda stepped away from the business for treatment and has subsequently spent her retirement raising funds and awareness for cancer research. She now enjoys playing golf, knitting and being Nana to her seven grandchildren.
Tracey & Kelly Chambers
Years Active at Purkel: Mid-2000s
Tracey and Kelly are the daughters of Purkel’s founder, Terry Chambers and his wife, Linda Chambers. They have been part of the Purkel team several times over the course of our history and their lives have played a significant role in Purkel’s success. They’ve always jumped in to help when we need all hands on deck, and they’ve simultaneously established their own successful careers in pharmaceuticals and education. Tracey and Kelly are incredible mothers and have raised Terry and Linda's grandchildren: Mya, Teagan, Reese, Tyson and Brynn.
Gustavo Scherman
Years Active at Purkel: 1993 - 2005
Gustavo is the co-founder of Purkel. Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina and raised in Sao Paolo, Brazil, Gustavo came to Toronto, Canada in the early eighties. During that time, he and Terry Chambers were colleagues importing Brazilian FCOJ into Canada. In 1993, they jointly formed Purkel; a merger of Terry's company, Trakel Enterprises Inc. and Purite Inc. Their partnership ended on a sour note due a bitter dispute over a very low ratio orange juice deal gone bad (if you know you know). Actually, we’re just kidding—Gustavo packed up his pick-up truck and hit the pavement for greener pastures in 2017 and remains a dear friend to Purkel. He now calls beautiful Nova Scotia, Canada home, where he and his wife, Iracema operate their own, successful organic juice business. When not working, Gustavo and Iracema enjoy traveling back home to Bento Gonsalves and Sao Paolo, Brazil to visit family, take plenty of photographs, dine on Brazilian BBQ and drink glasses of Malbec with good music played on vinyl.
Peter W. Smith
Years Active at Purkel: 1993 - His Passing in 2004 (Obituary for Peter W. Smith)
Peter was born in Lima, Peru and educated in Peru, Chile and England before obtaining his commission as Second Lieutenant in the 76(H) Highland Field Regiment Royal Artillery in 1943. He immigrated to Canada in 1953 after starting a family and 3 years working in Venezuela. In Canada, Peter was involved in and helped found several food brokerage businesses, including W. P. Smith Trading, Miller and Smith Foods, Suntaste Foods and Brastor Mercantile Ltd. In later years, Peter greatly enjoyed traveling to Europe and Latin America, revisiting many countries, and hunting and fishing across Canada through the RCMI Outdoors Club. He gave both Gustavo Scherman and Terry Chambers a start in the business and was a great mentor to Chris Chambers when Chris joined the business in 1999. He paved the way for Purkel with his old-school way of doing business. His word was his bond and his handshake was as good as a contract. A true gentlemen in every aspect of the word, our team at Purkel are grateful for and miss him dearly.
Esther Ho
Years Active at Purkel: 1993 - 2022
Esther was with Purkel since it was incorporated. She handled the logistics, administration and financial aspects of the company. Purkel is a family-owned business with a close working environment and relationships. As someone who was always proud to be part of the team, Esther believes that Purkel’s endeavors for excellence drives us to provide tailored and efficient services to our customers and suppliers.