New Maple Leaf Foods plants to be completed in 2022

Maple Leaf Foods is in the process of building a value-added fresh poultry plant in London, Ontario, and a plant-based protein plant in Shelbyville, Indiana. The Canada-based company expects the construction of both facilities to be completed in 2022.

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Maple Leaf Foods is building a new poultry plant in London, Ontario, and a plant-based protein plant in Shelbyville, Indiana. The company's headquarters in Mississaugua, Ontario, is shown here. (Maple Leaf Foods)
Maple Leaf Foods is building a new poultry plant in London, Ontario, and a plant-based protein plant in Shelbyville, Indiana. The company's headquarters in Mississaugua, Ontario, is shown here. (Maple Leaf Foods)

Maple Leaf Foods is in the process of building a value-added fresh poultry plant in London, Ontario, and a plant-based protein plant in Shelbyville, Indiana. The Canada-based company expects the construction of both facilities to be completed in 2022.

Geert Verellen, chief financial officer of Maple Leaf Foods, offered construction updates regarding both plants during a conference call on February 27, when the company also announced the financial results of fiscal year 2019 and the year’s fourth quarter.

London poultry facility

Maple Leaf Foods in 2018 announced plans to build a new, 640,000-square-foot value-added fresh poultry plant in London.

Initially, the company had hoped the plant, which is expected to employ 1,450 people, would be completed in 2021. However, there have been some delays beyond the company’s control. Despite that, construction is progressing.

“In London, work is underway with the steel frame beam construction as we speak,” said Verellen. “However, due to a slower-than-expected start driven by poor weather conditions last spring, along with a robust economy and a highly competitive environment, some construction components have taken longer to source.”

As a result, Verellen said Maple Leaf Foods now expects the construction to be completed by the second quarter of fiscal year 2022. The company’s fiscal years coincide with the calendar year.

Plant-based protein plant

Maple Leaf Foods, which produces Lightlife and Field Roast plant-based protein products, announced in 2019 plans to build a new 230,000 square-foot plant-based protein facility in Shelbyville, Indiana. The company, at the time, hoped production start-up would begin at the plant in late 2020. However, the process is taking longer than earlier thought.

“Engineering and design work continues at our Shelbyville, Indiana, facility,” Verellen said.

The company now expects the Shelbyville plant to be completed by the end of 2022.

“We continue to see the strategic need for a fully-dedicated plant food protein facility,” he said. “Until (the plant is completed), we are expanding capacity within our existing network to meet the current demand.  

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