Two food processors in Belleville, Ontario, Canada, Vantage Foods and Redpath Sugar, plan significant expansions to their operations centers, with assistance from government incentives.

The Province of Ontario is partnering with Vantage Foods and Redpath Sugar to create 80 new jobs in the Bay of Quinte region. The region, approximately 100 miles east of Toronto, is already known as a hub for food processing and is home to multinationals including Kellogg’s, Quaker-Pepsico, Nestle & Parmalat.

Vantage Foods Inc. is a leading food processor and distributor of fresh case-ready meat products, which are centrally cut and packaged. The company processes and supplies supermarkets and retailers with safe and efficient delivery, ready for their display cases.

With support from the Eastern Ontario Development Fund the company is diversifying their product range by adding a new 40,000 square foot seafood plant. Investing in new equipment and facility upgrades will help Vantage improve efficiency and increase production capacity to grow their customer base.

“Adding a seafood line to our product range is an exciting new development for Vantage Foods and offers a further innovative option for our valued customers. We look forward to adding to our Belleville team in our continual pursuit of delivering premium quality, case-ready fresh food solutions that can boost the bottom line of our partners in the food retailing sector,” Alan Cook, General Manager-Seafood, Vantage Foods Inc. said.

Ontario is investing $1,500,000 through EODF in support of the $18,000,000+ project, creating 70 new jobs and retaining an existing 190 positions. Construction is currently underway to more than double the size of their current facility in Belleville, Ontario.

Redpath Sugar Ltd., is a leading refiner of cane sugar and provides a wide range of sugar products to consumers, food service outlets and food manufacturers throughout Canada. The Belleville plant co-manufactures major retail brands and private label products, such as iced tea, hot chocolate, drink crystals, gelatins and milk powder blends.

With support from the Eastern Ontario Development Fund, the company is upgrading their Belleville location to add innovative new pouch packaging capabilities. By investing in two new customized packaging lines and equipment, Redpath will enhance productivity and competitiveness, increasing exports and revenues. Ontario is investing $624,263 through EODF in support of the $5,200,000+ project, creating 10 new jobs and retaining 101 existing postings.

“At Redpath, we’ve been crafting sugar since 1854 and throughout that time our focus has been on creating the finest products and exceeding the needs of our customers. With the addition of this new packaging technology, our Belleville location will be offering innovative new options for our retail and private label partners as we invest to remain at the forefront of an ever-changing industry,” said Jonathan Bamberger, President, Redpath Sugar Ltd.

“The Bay of Quinte Region, Ontario, Canada with an established and growing food processing cluster continues to be a choice destination for food processors to invest. Food processors in the Bay of Quinte Region take full advantage of, local supply chain connections, access to major North American markets, and a talented workforce that lead to bottom line financial benefits for companies,” said Chris King, CEO of Quinte Economic Development Commission.