Maple Leaf Foods closes Kitchener, Ont. facility
by Canadian Manufacturing.com Staff
This is the seventh of eight legacy plant closures in Maple Leaf's modernization plan
MISSISSAUGA, Ont.—Maple Leaf Foods has closed its Courtland Ave. production facility in Kitchener, Ont., the largest plant in its legacy network.
The decision to close the facility was announced in October 2011 as part of the company’s plan to increase competitiveness and efficiency throughout its prepared meats network.
“While today marks the end of one era, it is a critical milestone in establishing Maple Leaf as a sustainably competitive and profitable Canadian food company,” said Michael H. McCain, president and CEO, Maple Leaf Foods. “We are well along with transitioning production to our new, state-of-the-art facility in Hamilton and realizing the benefits of our modernized network.”
The Courtland Ave. facility was originally built in 1924 and owned by Schneider Foods.
Production was transferred throughout Maple Leaf’s network, primarily to a new, state-of-the-art 400,000 square foot prepared meats plant in Hamilton, Ont. The workforce in Kitchener was gradually transitioned, with the majority of employees securing new jobs either at Maple Leaf or in the region, or taking advantage of training opportunities through the Schneiders Employee Association Action Centre.
This is the seventh of eight legacy plant closures planned as part of Maple Leaf’s modernization plan. In the past four years, the company has built its new production plant in Hamilton, invested in new technology and expansions at existing facilities in Saskatoon, Winnipeg and Brampton, and built a new 282,000 square foot distribution centre in southwestern Ontario.
Headquartered in Mississauga, Ont., Maple Leaf Foods Inc. is a leading Canadian consumer food company that employs approximately 12,000 people across Canada and exports to global markets, including the U.S. and Asia.
