Metro to invest $420M to build new distribution centre in Terrebonne, Que.
by CM Staff
The new Terrebonne distribution centre will open in 2023
The new Terrebonne distribution centre will open in 2023, while the expansion of the Laval distribution centre will be completed in 2024.
MONTREAL — Montreal-based food retailer METRO Inc. will invest $420 million over five years in the construction of a new, automated distribution centre for fresh and frozen products in Terrebonne, Que., just north of Montreal, and the expansion of its produce and dairy products distribution centre in Laval.
The new Terrebonne distribution centre will open in 2023, while the expansion of the Laval distribution centre will be completed in 2024.
“Our new distribution centre of more than 600,000-square-feet in Terrebonne will feature state of the art technologies, allowing us to make significant efficiency gains. We will improve service to our store network with increased accuracy and reduced handling time, in both the distribution centres and the stores. For consumers, these new facilities will result in even more variety and freshness. We will be in an excellent position to pursue our growth in Quebec,” said METRO President and CEO Eric La Flèche in a statement.
METRO signed an agreement with German food distribution automation provider WITRON, with whom the company is already working in Ontario, where similar facilities are currently under construction.
“This $420 million investment in Quebec is in addition to the $400 million investment in Ontario announced in October 2017 for the modernization of our Toronto distribution centres. We are investing in order to remain at the forefront and better meet the expectations of our customers and our merchants, now and in the future,” added La Flèche.
Employees working in METRO’s existing meat and frozen food distribution centre in Montreal North and fish and seafood distribution centre in Rivière-des-Prairies/Pointe-aux-Trembles will be transferred to the new distribution centre in Terrebonne. Moreover, the produce and dairy products distribution centre in Laval will be expanded by 50,000-square-feet to handle an increased volume of fruits and vegetables. Dairy products will then be distributed from the new Terrebonne facility.
