Noel Hutton
Following graduation from St. Bon’s, Noel worked as a salesman. He started his first business venture in 1952 which was incorporated in 1956 as N. C. Hutton Ltd. The company was originally formed to distribute food products. Packaging for the fishing industry soon became the focus of the company. To service his packaging customers, he established warehouses strategically throughout the province. To address transportation challenges and service his customers more effectively, in 1962, Noel bought a plane, obtained his pilot license and continued flying until the eighties. He was known to many as the “flying salesman”.
In 1959, Noel was responsible for Canadian International Paper (CIP) establishing a corrugated manufacturing plant in St. John’s which operated for 32 years. N. C. Hutton Ltd. acted as CIP’s exclusive agent for Newfoundland and Labrador. In the early 1970’s, through warehouse expansion, he was able to accommodate a
company that produced beverage containers for the brewing and soft drink industries. He was its exclusive sales agent for the province and continued to supply these industries with cans until the early 1990’s. In 1976, Noel established East Coast Converters Ltd. which manufactures polyethylene products, one of which is Billy Boots Garbage Bags, a well-recognized line of consumer garbage bags.
To address challenges following the cod moratorium, N. C. Hutton Ltd. began exporting its line of seafood packaging to seafood processors in countries overseas. Noel is a strategic thinker and innovator who has contributed significantly to the fishing industry through a variety of packaging innovations.
Throughout his career, Noel Hutton has served on various boards and has been actively engaged in his community. In 2011, the Hutton Family was inducted into the Kiwanis Music Festival St. John’s Hall of Fame. In 2004, Noel was recognized as one of Atlantic Canada’s top 50 CEO’s by Atlantic Business magazine. In 2002, N.C. Hutton Ltd. was awarded the Premier’s Award for Business Excellence by the Mount Pearl Chamber of Commerce. With a belief in community, Noel’s companies contribute financially to community projects where they are doing business.
He serves as Chairman of the Board for the Hutton Group of Companies and is still going strong providing guidance and mentorship. He is actively contributing to the development to N. C. H. Holdings properties.
A strong work ethic and a belief in fair play helped him create and grow successful enterprises at a time when geographic and economic challenges were much greater in this province.