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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Friday, May 16, 2014 | 18 celebrates his year has been extra special for Tim Hortons. Having recently been honoured as Oakville's Business Icon of the Year, it will also of cially celebrate its 50th anniversary Saturday (May 17). Tim Hortons was recognized as a business icon in March during the 19th annual Oakville Awards for Business Excellence hosted by the Oakville Chamber of Commerce. Launched in Hamilton in 1964, Tim Hortons has its corporate head of ce in Oakville, and the business has grown to approximately 3,500 locations in Canada, 800 in the U.S. and several dozen in the Middle East. David Clanachan, the chief operating of cer for Tim Hortons, said the award win in connection with the company's 50th anniversary was "the glaze on the doughnut." "We are truly blessed as a company by the relationship we have with all the guests and the communities across Canada... and the fact that we're able to establish our business in the town of Oakville," he said. "(We)... look forward to many more years calling Oakville our home." The Tim Hortons chain was founded in with a focus on quality, always fresh products, value, service and community leadership, which has allowed it to grow into one of the largest quick service restaurant chain in Canada specializing in coffee, baked goods and homestyle lunches. The rst Tim Hortons restaurants offered only two products -- coffee and doughnuts. The doughnut selection was highlighted by two original Tim Hortons creations, the apple fritter and the Dutchie. They became the most popular choices in the 60s, and remain two of the most loved today. But as consumer tastes grew, so did the choices at Tim Hortons. The rst change in the chain's product focus took place in 1976 with the introduction of the years... popular Timbits (bitesized doughnut holes), which are currently available in more than 35 different varieties. The chain's growth into the 1980s brought about a whole series of new product introductions: muf ns (1981), cookies (1981), croissants (1983), and soups and chili (1985). Sandwiches, which were originally introduced in 1993, were reintroduced with a line-up of six varieties, called "Tim's Own," in 1998. Also, in the 1990s, bagels (1996), avoured cappuccino (1997), Café Mocha (1999) and Iced Cappuccino (1999) were introduced. Many more products were added to the menu from 2003-13, such as the turkey bacon club sandwich, maple pecan danish, cinnamon rolls, chicken salad wrap, hot breakfast sandwiches, lattes and cappuccinos. The chain's biggest drawing card remains its Tim Hortons coffee, which is also available in cans. In addition to its standard restaurants, Tim Hortons' locations have spread to shopping malls, highway outlets, universities and hospitals, with locations offering 24-hour drive-thru service. Tim Hortons opened its rst U. S. restaurant in 1984 in Tonawanda, N.Y. Since then, the company has expanded into nine other states. In 1995, Tim Hortons merged with Wendy's International, Inc. Tim Hortons completed an initial public offering of the company in March 2006 and was fully spun off as a separate company on Sept. 29, 2006. It trades on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) under the symbol THI. As of June 30th, 2013, Tim Hortons had 4,304 system-wide restaurants, including 3,468 in Canada, 807 in the United States and 29 in the Gulf Cooperation Council. ­ with les from the Oakville Beaver · 2001 ­ first U.S. Tim Horton Children's Foundation camp opens in Campbellsville, Ky. · 2006 ­ Tim Hortons spins off as a separate company and trades on the New York and Toronto stock exchanges under THI -- also opens 3,000th restaurant in Orchard Park, N.Y. · 2009 ­ Tim Hortons Inc. announces it has reorganized its corporate structure to become a Canadian public company · 2011 ­ Tim Hortons signs a Master License Agreement (MLA) with Apparel Group based in Dubai for up to 120 multiformat restaurants in markets in the Gulf Cooperation Council; also opens its 4,000th restaurant · 2014 ­ Tim Hortons celebrates its 50th anniversary Tim Hortons proud to call Oakville home over the years T The man behind the brand -- Tim Horton Tim Horton was born in Cochrane, Outside the rink and after many Ont., on Jan. 12, 1930. He was summers of trying to make an offsigned by the Toronto Maple season living, Horton tried his Leafs in 1949 and performed as luck in the coffee and doughnut one of the steadiest defensemen business. In 1967, with three restaurants on the blueline throughout his already in operation, Horton be22 years in the National Hockey League. He played in 1,446 regular came full partners with former season games, scoring 115 goals and police of cer and franchisee of 403 assists for a total of 518 points. the rst Tim Hortons (open in Horton played on four Stanley Cup 1964), Ron Joyce. n Horto teams, was an all-star player six times, Tim Horton would not live to see and was honoured in 1969 with the the success of his chain -- he died in a J.P . Bickell Memorial Cup in recognition of his car accident on Feb. 21, 1974. At the time of his service to the Leafs' hockey club. death, there were 40 Tim Hortons restaurants. Timeline · 1964 ­ first Tim Hortons restaurant opens in Hamilton · 1967 ­ Ron Joyce and Tim Horton become full partners · 1974 ­ Horton dies in car crash · 1975 ­ first Tim Horton Children's Foundation camp opens in Parry Sound, Ont. · 1984 ­ first U.S. restaurant opens in Tonawanda, N.Y. · 1991 ­ 500th Canadian restaurant opens in Aylmer, Que. · 1995 ­ Wendy's International Inc. buys Tim Hortons; chain opens 1,000th Canadian restaurant in Ancaster, Ont. · 2000 ­ 2,000th restaurant opens in Toronto