Nestlé Canada will invest nearly $40 million in an expansion to increase production capabilities at its London, Ontario ice cream factory. The factory, which supplies all of Canada with brands like Hӓagen-Dazs, Parlour and Drumstick, has seen increased growth within the category, which has resulted in greater production demands. This expansion investment will help the company continue to innovate and bring new products to the market.
“We are really proud to be a part of the London community and excited to be making this significant investment,” explains Jayne Payette, Business Executive Officer, Ice Cream at Nestlé Canada. “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 received $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, a step that was essential to the success of the expansion.
“We are pleased to support Nestlé’s significant investment in southwestern Ontario’s food processing and dairy sector,” said Jeff Leal, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and Minister Responsible for Small Business. “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.”
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. The expansion project and the resulting production will increase ingredient, packaging and raw material supplier purchases. Nestlé Canada is proud to be one of the largest purchasers of Canadian dairy for its extensive portfolio of market leading products.
Expansion on the London facility began in early 2016 with reconfiguration and consolidation of production lines to increase its capacity and flexibility for Hӓagen-Dazs. The second phase saw the addition of a second Drumstick line to further meet the ever-increasing demand for the popular frozen treat. The third phase helped to modernize 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 Hӓagen-Dazs and other popular products. Groundwork has begun on the site, with production planned in early 2019.
