Olymel partners with Groupe Robitaille on $80M processing plant
by The Canadian Press
The project will integrate 430 workers from Groupe Robitaille's slaughterhouse into Olymel's Atrahan factory, where 360 people work
MONTREAL—Pork and poultry companies Olymel and Groupe Robitaille on August 9 announced a joint investment of $80 million in a production and processing facility that is expected to create 350 new jobs in central Quebec.
Scheduled to be completed in three years, the project will integrate 430 workers from Groupe Robitaille’s slaughterhouse into Olymel’s Atrahan factory, where 360 people work.
The investment is set to double production volume at the Atrahan factory in Yamachiche, about 115 kilometres northeast of Montreal, by adding a second shift to operations at Olymel’s slaughterhouse and deboning facility.
The companies said in a statement the investment will enable them to satisfy customer requirements, especially in Japan.
“Once the work is completed, the plant will be outfitted with the latest equipment, enabling it to meet its customers’ rigorous demands,” it said. “The day shift will be mainly devoted to producing value-added products under the Mugifuji and Nagano brands.”
The Mugifuji brand is manufactured specifically for the Japanese market.
Once the consolidation is complete, Groupe Robitaille’s slaughterhouse will close.
Olymel has 11,000 workers, including 8,000 in Quebec. The company’s exports represent roughly one-third of its total sales, mainly to the United States, Japan and Australia.
Groupe Robitaille employs about 650 people in Quebec and exports to Japan, the United States and Mexico.
