Nestlé Canada will invest CAD 51.5 million ($39.6 million) to increase production capabilities at its London ice cream factory in Ontario, Canada.
The factory, which supplies Canada with brands like Häagen-Dazs, Parlour and Drumstick, has seen increased growth within the ice cream category, which Nestlé said has resulted in greater production demands.
This expansion investment will help the company continue to innovate and bring new products to the market.
Expansion of the London facility began in early 2016 with the reconfiguration and consolidation of production lines to increase Häagen-Dazs capacity. The second phase saw the addition of a second Drumstick line to further meet increasing demand and the third phase helped to modernise the existing processes to allow for greater flexibility within the production lines.
The latest expansion includes an increase to the factory’s current footprint by 9,000 square feet to create more capacity for future growth of Häagen-Dazs. Groundwork has already begun with production planned in early 2019.
In addition to creating an additional 12 new job opportunities at the factory, 45 jobs will move from seasonal part-time employment to full-time positions. Nestlé hopes the expansion project and the resulting production will increase ingredient, packaging and raw material supplier purchases.
Jayne Payette, Nestlé Canada business executive officer for ice cream, said: “We are really proud to be a part of the London community and excited to be making this significant investment.
“Our employees work hard every day to bring these great made in Canada brands to our consumers and this investment allows us to bring even more exciting and innovative products to market.”
Nestlé Canada has received CAD 390,000 ($302,000) in funding from the South Western Ontario Development Fund for an early phase of the investment which enhanced the cleaning technology for each individual production line.
Jeff Leal, Ontario minister for agriculture, food and rural affairs, said: “We are pleased to support Nestlé’s significant investment in southwestern Ontario’s food processing and dairy sector.
“Our support for Nestlé Canada through the Southwestern Ontario Development Fund is helping create good jobs and economic opportunities for workers, dairy farmers and communities throughout the London area.”
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