Nestlé Canada invests $51.5M in ice cream factory expansion
March 5, 2018
By Manufacturing AUTOMATION
Mar. 5, 2018 – Last week Nestlé Canada shared expansion plans for its $51.5-million investment to increase production capabilities at its London, Ont., ice cream factory on Wilton Grove Road.
Supplying all of Canada with brands like Hӓagen-Dazs, Parlour and Drumstick, the factory has seen increased growth within the category, resulting in greater production demands. The company says the expansion investment will help it continue to innovate and bring new products to the market.
“We are really proud to be a part of the London community and excited to be making this significant investment,” said Jayne Payette, business executive officer, Ice Cream at Nestlé Canada. “Our employees work hard every day to bring these great Made In Canada brands to our consumers and this investment allows us to bring even more exciting and innovative products to market.”
Nestlé Canada is receiving $390,000 in funding from the South Western Ontario Development Fund for an early phase of the investment which enhanced the cleaning technology for each individual production line, a step that was essential to the success of the expansion, it says.
In addition to creating an additional 12 new job opportunities at the factory, 45 jobs will move from seasonal part-time employment to full-time positions. As well, the expansion project and the resulting production will increase ingredient, packaging and raw material supplier purchases.
The factory expansion began in early 2016 with reconfiguration and consolidation of production lines to increase its capacity and flexibility for Hӓagen-Dazs. The second phase saw the addition of a second Drumstick line to further meet the increasing demand for the popular frozen treat. The third phase helped to modernize the existing processes to allow for greater flexibility within the production lines.
The latest expansion includes an increase to the factory’s current footprint by 9,000 square feet to create more capacity for future growth of Hӓagen-Dazs and other products. The company says groundwork has already begun with production planned in early 2019.
