Belleville — Vantage Foods announced the establishment of a new case-ready Service Centre in Belleville, Ontario to centrally process retail-ready fresh meats for supermarkets in Eastern Canada.
“The Belleville Service Centre will be state-of-the-art, incorporating the most advanced food processing technology and a dedicated team of case-ready professionals to ensure production and distribution of fresh meats under superior food safety protocols,” says Doug Paddock, COO Vantage Foods Canada.
“We’re proud to call Belleville home to our newest Service Centre,” Paddock goes on to say. “Initially we will create 150 jobs with plans for increased employment in the future. We’ve purchased an ideal building and worked with an Ontario engineering firm on facility design. Renovations are now in full swing with the services of a local Belleville construction company. We want to generate strong economic spin-off for the community and earn our place as a good corporate citizen.”
Case-ready meat offers many advantages, including improved quality, freshness, and increased selection for consumers. Because case-ready meat is processed and packaged at a CFIA (Canadian Food Inspection Agency) inspected facility, rigorous quality control and food safety can be assured.
“Strategically, we have targeted expansion into Eastern Canada and believe that locating along the 401 corridor is optimal for our operations,” says Gary Haley, President and CEO Vantage Foods. “Belleville provides an excellent food distribution point for supply within Ontario and cost-effective access to markets in Québec and the Maritimes. Both the Province of Ontario and the City of Belleville have been very supportive of our efforts to establish a facility here. We are highly motivated to make the facility operational and we’re excited about building a future in eastern Ontario. That’s why we selected a13-acre site that has room for expansion.”
Vantage Foods has been delivering quality, case-ready fresh meats to progressive supermarkets since 1995. The company currently operates two production facilities in Western Canada that service The Overwaitea Food Group (owned by the Jim Pattison Group), Canada Safeway Limited, and the North West Company. It also has a processing facility in North Carolina that supplies the Lowes and Martin’s retail banners.
The Belleville Service Centre is targeting start-up in November, 2011.
Source: Vantage Foods
