Olymel invests in two poultry plants in Ontario, Canada

Canadian pork and poultry meat company Olymel has invested more than C$30m ($23.5m) to acquire a new plant and expanded its existing Orenda poultry processing plant in Brampton, Ontario.

The Olymel Orenda plant specialises in processing poultry products, including breaded and frozen chicken products using the individual quick frozen (IQF) method. The plant has a workforce of nearly 320 people.

Olymel’s has added a fourth breading line and high-performance equipment at the Brampton Orenda plant in order to reach its full production capacity.

With the addition of the new equipment, the Orenda plant will be producing gluten-free products at all times, both for its house brands, such as Flamingo, and for private brands.

The newly acquired Westwyn plant will be engaged in deboning and portioning poultry meat, which was previously done at Olymel’s existing Orenda plant.

The new plant will add more than 50,000ft² to the existing surface area of the two Olymel plants and will create additional space for future developments.

Olymel president and CEO Réjean Nadeau said: “This major investment and the operational reorganisation in the Ontario poultry sector were necessary for Olymel to continue to develop its markets, particularly in the breaded poultry products segment, whose popularity shows no signs of slowing.

“Olymel is consolidating its position in the poultry sector in Ontario and in Canada by giving itself considerable means to increase its production capacity, actively participate in the economic development of the agri-food processing sector, and create new jobs.”

According to the company, the investment and the operational reorganisation of Olymel’s poultry operations will create more than 100 new jobs in Ontario.