Cemp Investments

Cemp Investments Ltd. was the primary holding company and investment vehicle for the four children of Samuel Bronfman: Charles Bronfman, Edgar Bronfman, Aileen "Minda" Bronfman de Gunzburg, and Phyllis Lambert, also known as the Montreal branch of the Bronfman family. During its five decade existence, Cemp became one of the largest privately owned companies in Canada. At its peak it controlled assets worth tens of billions in dollars of assets in major distilling, commercial real estate development, oil and gas, and entertainment companies across North America.

In 1951 the Bronfman family established two holding companies to hold the assets of the children of brothers Samuel and Allan, beginning with Seco Ltd. which held the stock in Distillers-Seagram Company: Cemp for the four children of Samuel, and Edper Investments for the two children of Allen. Each company was an amalgam of the children's names. Cemp's ownership was by a variety of trusts established to minimize exposure to taxes. When established, ownership was assigned 33% to Charles, 28% to Edgar, 18% to Minda, and 21% to Phyllis. Over time this changed depending on varying amounts of money withdrawn by each of the four. Cemp in turn was assigned 70% of Seco Ltd. and Edper 30%. Seco Ltd. held the siblings' shares in the family distilling empire, Distillers-Seagram Co. Ltd.. Within a decade of its inception, Edper sold its share of Seco Ltd. to Cemp for CAD $16.6 million (approximately US $15 million), leaving the Montreal-based branch of the family the sole owner.

In Canada the company focused primarily in commercial real estate and the liquor business. Starting in the early 1960s most of the Cemp's acquisitions and diversification were in the United States through its New York-based Seagram subsidiary, Seagram Co. Ltd. For much of its history, Cemp was run by Leo Kolber, who served as president. Following the death of Samuel Bronfman in 1971, control of Cemp and its subsidiaries was shared between brothers Charles (in Montreal) and Edgar (in New York).

In 1987 Charles Bronfman announced that Cemp was to be dissolved and the assets distributed to its individual family-member owners. At the time its major asset was a 40% stake in Cadillac Fairview Corp. Charles Bronfman said he would transfer his Cemp assets, as well as his own personal 16.5% stake in Seagram, into his own company, Claridge Investments.

...
Wikipedia