Olymel says it won’t reopen fire-torn Quebec bacon plant

ST-HYACINTHE, Que.—Olymel has decided not to rebuild a Quebec bacon production plant destroyed by a fire in May.

According to the company, it was “after an in-depth analysis that required several months of evaluation” the decision was made to forgo rebuilding its Princeville plant.

The company credits a sufficient number of bacon processing facilities to meet demand from its customers in Canada and abroad as a factor in the decision.

“After reviewing all of its processing operations in the bacon production sector, Olymel has come to the conclusion that rebuilding the Princeville bacon processing plant is not justified given the current market conditions and demand for this base product,” Olymel CEO Réjean Nadeau said in a statement.

Results for this sector have been in decline for several years, Nadeau said, with the situation in the bacon sector under close watch for several years.

Olymel operates two bacon production plants, one in Drummondville, Que., and the other in Cornwall, Ont.

With a temporary job relocation program coming to an end, Olymel says it will establish a centralized job database from which it will be able to offer permanent jobs to each Princeville employee requesting it.

The job database already consists of 162 available positions to meet current manpower needs at nine other Olymel facilities in Quebec, and Princeville employees will be given priority.