Maple Leaf Foods announced Wednesday it intends to close its Brantford facility.
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Plans call for most of its Further Processed Poultry production to shift to other facilities in the company’s network in phases through to early 2025.
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“The decision to close any plant is one that we take very seriously,” said Maple Leaf Foods President and CEO Curtis Frank. “We are very proud of our team at Brantford and appreciate the great work they do each and every day.”
The Company said the 100-year-old facility would require significant ongoing investment to continue long-term operations in Brantford.
“I was very disappointed to learn today that one of our City’s longstanding food plants will be relocating its operations to more modern facilities in Ontario,” said Brantford Mayor Kevin Davis. “My first concern on hearing the news was the significant impact this will have on our community, particularly for the employees and their families.”
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Davis said he spoke with Maple Leafs executives Wednesday and learned that the aging facility cannot be upgraded to meet today’s operating standards.
“I was heartened for the employees to hear that this is not happening overnight, as Maple Leaf will be closing the plant on a phased basis over the next eight to ten months,” said the Mayor. “I was also very encouraged that during the phased closure the company will be working to relocate as many employees as possible to other Maple Leaf plants in or near to Brantford.”
The Company said the phased closure will maintain business continuity and meet customer demand.
“Consolidating production into our current network allows us to reallocate our resources and increase our efficiencies by further optimizing the existing, more modern facilities in our network,” explained Frank. “This supports our vision to be the most sustainable protein company on Earth and our commitment to produce world-class products safely and efficiently as we support the growth of our protein business.”
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In 2023 Maple Leaf Foods opened Canada’s largest poultry processing plant in London, employing more than 1,000 workers.
The Brantford plant employs about 170 salaried and unionized workers.
“We deeply regret the impact on our Brantford team members and in line with our values, will treat them with fairness and respect,” said a company spokesperson early Wednesday evening. “The Brantford plant is central to several other Maple Leaf Foods plant locations including Guelph, London, and Hamilton. Consistent with our track record, we are aiming to support and identify opportunities in our network for those impacted wherever possible.”
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