This is a picture of a man with a pair of binoculars looking at a map of Southern Ontario.

Food Manufacturing

There are currently 21 businesses involved in food products manufacturing, 11 of which were established in the Brantford·Brant area between 1996 and 2004. In total, food manufacturing companies account for approximately 2,000 jobs in the region.

  • Ministries of Economic Development and Trade and Agriculture and Food have recognized the various food sectors as economic drivers within the province.
  • Brantford Economic Development Advisory Board, in recognition of this recent growth, has formed a "Food Cluster Task Force", in order to better understand the issues affecting the continued growth and sustainability of this industry.
  • The Brantford·Brant Business Resource Enterprise Centre will offer modular training for new hires/existing staff in: Good Manufacturing Practices, Health & Safety, Safe Food Handling, Introduction to HACCP/ISO, Human Resource Management and Forklift.
  • CareerLink will expand it’s adult learning programs to include a 16 week Trades and Manufacturing program with specific training for the food manufacturing industry.
  • Both the Public and Catholic school boards and Grand Erie Learning Alternatives (for adults and English-as-second-language students) will introduce food industry related courses such as Good Manufacturing Processes, Health & Safety, Accident Reporting, Risk Assessment, HACAAP/ISO Fundamentals and Safe Food Handling into the curriculum by June 2005.

    • Download our 2008 Food Quickfacts sheet in PDF format.

Brantford·Brant Recent Investments

  • The Ferrero Group - $300 million investment for North American Production Facility (Opened October 2006). The Ferrero site consists of over 160 acres of land. Phase 1 approximately 900,000 square feet and initially employing over 600 people. The site provides Ferrero the feasibility to double the plant size in the future and increase its workforce
  • Maidstone Bakeries - $200 million joint venture with Tim Horton’s and Cuisine de France – 300,000 sq.ft. new par-bake manufacturing facility employing 350
  • Western Waffles - $25 million – 132,700 sq.ft new manufacturing facility producing waffles, employing 220
  • Dure Foods - $1.6 million, 35,000 sq.ft. new facility manufacturing and packaging powdered and flavour coffees, employing 27
  • Export Packers Foods Ltd . – joint venture with Export Packers Company Limited and Tyson Foods Inc. - 40,000 sq.ft. facility producing fully cooked ready-to-eat chicken
  • Pillers Fine Foods Inc . – 61,000 sq.ft. facility producing meat products, employing 40

Market – Key Facts

Ontario produces more than 200 agricultural commodities, a diversity unmatched in most parts of the world. The province is a world leader in food technology research and development, and the agri-food sector has a proven track record in successful export marketing with exports worth $8.5 billion annually and accounts for 28% of Canada's total annual agri-food exports. The value of food shipments for 2005 was $32.5 billion.

Food Processing Value of Shipments, Ontario 2005

Food Processing Value of Shipments, Ontario 2005

Producers:

  • 59,728 farms
  • 130,000 job equivalents
  • $9.1 billion annual revenues

Food & Beverage:

  • 3,500 firms
  • 120,000 jobs
  • $32.5 billion annual revenues

Foodservice:

  • 36,436 firms
  • 298,200 jobs
  • $19.5 billion annual revenues

Food Stores:

  • 13,731 firms
  • 178,000 jobs
  • $24.1 billion annual revenues
Source: Ontario Investment Service (www.2ontario.com), Sept.2008.

Brantford·Brant's Advantages

  • Transportation options that include superior access to 400 series highways, two international airports, international border crossing at Niagara Falls and inter-modal facilities in western GTA
  • Proximity to Ontario and Northern US customer market and suppliers
  • Strong labour force growth trends
  • Productive, skilled labour force
  • Competitive wage levels
  • Access to suppliers and competitively priced high quality raw materials
  • Low land and construction costs when compared to other Southern Ontario locations
  • Low cost electricity and telecommunication costs
  • Cost competitive business conditions
  • Proximity to major consumer markets considered a major factor in attracting warehouse and distribution facilities
  • Many firms have already located in Brantford·Brant including: The Ferrero Group, Maidstone Bakeries, Western Waffles, Pillers Fine Foods Inc., Tyson Foods Inc., Maple Leaf Poultry, Grand River Poultry, Tamsco, and Export Packers Foods Inc.