Ontario to support Bonduelle Canada’s facility expansion project

The Ontario Government, Canada, has announced its plans to invest up to C$8.5m ($6.6m) in Bonduelle Canada’s $79.8m facility expansion project.

The project will see three vegetable processing facilities in southwestern Ontario being upgraded and expanded, and is expected to create 87 new jobs.

Currently, the three facilities, located in Tecumseh, Ingersoll and Strathroy, employ around 700 people.

Through its facilities, Bonduelle Canada processes Ontario-grown vegetables in frozen and canned formats and distributes them to Canadian and US markets. These facilities annually process 250 million pounds of finished vegetable products.

The Ontario Government will fund the expansion through the Jobs and Prosperity Fund and the Food and Beverage Growth Fund.

Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Jeff Leal said: “Our government’s investment in Bonduelle Canada will support major upgrades to the province’s vegetable processing sector.

“These upgrades will have a very positive impact on the supply chain and future sustainability, with increased purchases from 200 Ontario vegetable growers and a significant increase in exports of Ontario-grown and processed vegetables.

The investment made by the government will enable the company to incorporate new technologies at its facilities to create new frozen vegetable products and packaging formats to cater to domestic and overseas markets.

Bonduelle Americas business development, information technology and FFG vice-president Daniel Caumartin said: “We want to thank the Ontario Government for its partnership in order to continue to help Bonduelle to grow in Ontario in both canned and frozen vegetable technologies with the grant agreement for the Jobs and Prosperity Fund.”

Bonduelle is a family business set up in 1853. It has eight facilities in Canada, including three in Ontario.