CANADA – Olymel, a prominent Canadian meat producer, has confirmed the closure of its poultry processing plant in Paris, Ontario, marking the fifth facility to shut down within the last ten months.
The company has cited a strategic plan to optimize its processed poultry operations and increase capacity at its Oakville plant as the driving force behind this decision.
Olymel’s decision to close the Paris plant comes with a comprehensive plan to restructure and enhance its processed poultry operations.
Production from the Paris facility will be shifted to the Oakville plant, located approximately 75 kilometers to the north-east, resulting in an increased workforce at the latter.
The company has stated that it will offer the 93 employees affected by the Paris plant closure the opportunity to relocate to other Olymel establishments, particularly to Oakville or the nearby plant in Port Colborne. Olymel will also maintain two poultry processing sites in Brampton, Ontario.
The Paris plant is scheduled to cease operations on December 22, 2023, as part of the restructuring strategy. To support this transition, Olymel will invest a total of US$5.9 million to reorganize production capacity at its Oakville facility.
One of the production lines from the Paris plant will be relocated and integrated into the Oakville operations.
Upon the completion of these improvements, the Oakville plant will require an additional 62 employees, raising the total workforce at the facility to 180.
“This decision will prevent the projected costly investments needed to update the company’s equipment at the Paris plant, notably to eliminate noise and odor disturbances for the neighborhood,” Yanick Gervais, President and CEO of Olymel, said.
“After renovations are complete, the Oakville plant will be able to carry out its current operations while integrating the activities from the Paris plant into its production lines.”
The period of plant closures initiated last November with the shutdown of the facility on St-Jacques Street in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec.
Subsequently, Olymel announced the closure of three more facilities earlier this year, including a pork facility in Vallée-Jonction, Quebec, which cost 994 jobs. This latest development adds to the series of adjustments made by the pork and poultry processor.
Olymel, a company with more than 13,000 employees and annual sales of approximately C$4.5 billion, operates a network of 24 pork and poultry processing plants and five distribution centers across Canada.
The company’s product portfolio includes well-known brands such as Olymel, Lafleur, Flamingo, La Fernandière, Pinty’s, Tour Eiffel, and F. Ménard.
As Olymel proceeds with its strategic restructuring plan, the impact on jobs and regional economies remains a critical concern.
The company will continue to work closely with affected employees and communities to mitigate the effects of these closures and ensure a smooth transition for its workforce.
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