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Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

Ontario’s Food Manufacturers Are in Proximity to Resources and Key Markets

Frozen pizza maker Dr. Oetker Canada’s first North American plant in Ontario, Canada, puts it in proximity to abundant farm produce as well as the US$19 trillion marketplace under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). 

2015 Food Processing
With a vital economy, skilled talent, and access to markets, Ontario, Canada, helped put Dr. Oetker’s pizza in North Americans’ freezers. In 2014, Dr. Oetker opened its first North American frozen pizza plant in London, Ontario. This strategic location put Dr. Oetker in the heart of the North American market, close to Ontario’s abundant farm produce with access to the region’s highly skilled workforce.

Dr. Oetker Canada had been selling frozen pizza in Canada since 2002, shipping the pizzas to North America from Germany. Nearly one-third of all frozen pizzas sold in Canada were made by Dr. Oetker. In recognition of its growing customer base, Dr. Oetker Canada wanted to build a frozen pizza production facility in North America. It needed a location close to its key markets, and with an abundant supply of high-quality raw ingredients for pizza production, as well as the workforce to put all the ingredients together.

The solution for Dr. Oetker was London, Ontario, for its new Canadian pizza manufacturing facility, warehouse, and distribution center — a $113 million investment. In 2014, Dr. Oetker began manufacturing frozen pizza for the North American market — a US$19 trillion marketplace under the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Ontario’s highly skilled and reliable workforce was a significant factor in Dr. Oetker’s decision to locate in Ontario. About 95,000 people power Ontario’s food manufacturing operations, with another 100,000 more working in related sectors. The province’s manufacturing sector workers average over 10 years of on-the-job experience. Ontario’s workforce is among the best educated in the world. Twenty-five universities and colleges are training the next generation of workers through world-class programs in agriculture, food and nutritional sciences, and culinary arts.

Dr. Oetker’s London, Ontario, Canada location puts it in the heart of North America. Ontario’s strong transportation, telecommunications, and utilities infrastructure move people and goods quickly and easily in and out of Ontario. The plant is within a day’s drive of 141 million people. Three border crossings are reachable in less than two-hour’s drive.

Ontario’s packagers, warehousing, distribution, equipment, specialized storage, and transportation suppliers know the food business. The province has 52,000 farms and more than 200 agricultural commodities, giving Dr. Oetker fast access to abundant fresh ingredients for pizza-making, such as flour, cheese, tomato sauce, and meat toppings.

Ontario has all the right ingredients for food and beverage production expansion. What’s more, Ontario business consultants provide companies interested in the province “one-window” access to all the information, contacts, and resources needed to discover how to expand in Canada’s largest food and beverage manufacturing jurisdiction

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