HAMILTON, ONTARIO – Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Lawrence MacAulay, announced today an investment of $10 million for Parrish and Heimbecker, Ltd., to build a new wheat flour milling plant in Hamilton that will increase production capacity and expand export markets, while enhancing food safety and traceability of its products.
The Minister was joined by Members of Parliament Bob Bratina (Hamilton East - Stoney Creek) and Filomena Tassi (Hamilton West - Ancaster - Dundas).
This investment helps achieve the federal government's goal of creating good jobs in food processing by making key investments that add value to Canada's agricultural sector.
The Winnipeg-based Parrish and Heimbecker, Canada's second largest flour miller by milling capacity, expects to buy more wheat from producers – quadrupling its procurement – while adding 16 full-time jobs at the Hamilton facility.
Quick facts
- The grain industry is a major contributor to the Canadian economy with over $20 billion in farmgate revenues and over $20 billion in exports.
- The new state-of-the-art plant will have a built-in traceability feature that will help identify specific product batches in the event of a product recall. It also uses the latest technology in the wheat cleaning process to improve food safety by doing a better job of removing impurities before milling.
- This repayable investment is being made through the Growing Forward 2 AgriInnovation Program, a five-year, up to $698 million initiative.
Quotes
"We are proud to support Parrish and Heimbecker's construction of this state-of-the-art flour mill facility. Not only will this new mill use exciting new technologies that will improve consumer confidence in wheat products, but it will support many good paying jobs and help grow the middle class."
– Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
"This project adds to our remarkable agricultural sector and provides the kind of development cities require for sustainable, recession-proof economies. Parrish and Heimbecker have proven to be great partners in promoting the growth of the sector and our employment base."
– Bob Bratina, Member of Parliament (Hamilton East - Stoney Creek)
"Parrish & Heimbecker has been part of the Canadian agriculture and food community for over 100 years and we value the partnerships we have developed over that time. This investment through Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's AgriInnovation Fund supports P&H Milling Group's ongoing commitment to food safety, innovation, productivity and quality. This project will also enable P&H Milling Group to continue to grow with our customers and support the sustainable growth of the baking industry in Canada."
– Derek Jamieson, President and C.O.O., Parrish and Heimbecker Milling Group
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Source: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
