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 2009 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

Producers: Foodservice:

• 59,728 farms • 36,436 firms

• 130,000 job equivalents • 298,200 jobs
• $9.1 billion annual revenues • $19.5 billion annual revenues

Food & Beverage: Food Stores:

• 3,500 firms • 13,731 firms

• 120,000 jobs • 178,000 jobs

• $32.5 billion annual revenues • $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.
Food Processing Value of Shipments, Ontario 2005