TORONTO — Lactalis Canada Inc. (‘Lactalis Canada’) – the Canadian dairy leader behind iconic brands such as Cracker Barrel, Black Diamond, Balderson, Astro and Lactantia and a subsidiary of France-based Lactalis Group – today announced that it is entering into a long-term lease for a new distribution centre located in Oshawa, Ontario, principally for its cheese and tablespreads supply chain network. Set to open in Q4 2024, the agreement was facilitated by CBRE Limited and the distribution centre will be developed, built, and leased by Broccolini with construction beginning immediately. The design of the facility was supported by GKC Architecture and Design.
The 379,000 square foot centre will consolidate multiple shipping locations used to service the cheese and tablespreads category – including the internally-operated Belleville, Ontario distribution centre – into a central, modern facility to enable the company’s long-term growth, increase capacity and efficiency while enhancing service to the company’s customers.
“Lactalis Canada’s new facility in Oshawa will become the largest distribution centre, from a capacity standpoint, for Lactalis Group globally,” said Mark Taylor, President & CEO, Lactalis Canada. “This bold step exemplifies Lactalis Canada’s growth ambitions in Canada as a dairy leader and more importantly, reinforces our continued commitment and investment in the country and communities in which we operate.”
“The Greater Toronto Area (GTA) is the optimal hub for this part of our supply chain network across Canada,” said Eric Seguin, Senior Vice President, Supply Chain, Lactalis Canada. “The Oshawa distribution centre is poised to meet the current needs and future demands of our business and customers, while its sustainable design will transform our network effectiveness and contribute to Lactalis Canada’s ESG agenda in reducing its carbon footprint.”
“Broccolini is proud to partner with Lactalis Canada on this significant new facility. For nearly 75 years, we have been building relationships with some of the world’s most recognizable brands and this partnership is yet another example of how we can work together to achieve great things. We are honoured to be chosen by Lactalis Canada as developer, builder, and property manager, and look forward to handing over the keys to this zero-carbon ready facility next year,” said Michael Broccolini, Chief Investment Officer, Broccolini.
The facility will create approximately 80 jobs in Oshawa and the surrounding region and will join Lactalis Canada’s workforce of more than 4,200 employees across 30 operating sites in Canada.
Key Facility Features
- Located at 1680 Thornton Road North in Oshawa, Ontario in the growing Northwood Business Park.
- A 379,000 square feet facility with the ability to store up to 60,000 pallets in both cooler and freezer environments.
- The building will be zero-carbon ready with the potential to be Zero Carbon Building (ZCB) certified.
- Source of energy will be fully on the Ontario power grid with no additional reliance on non-renewable energy sources.
- Use of energy efficient lighting controls, equipment and high insulation values will reduce the power load imposed on the refrigeration system.
- Heat generated from the refrigeration system will be fully reclaimed and used to heat the facility’s offices and the truck apron to melt snow for safety reasons.
- White roof will reduce heat island effect.
- Solar panels on the roof in a future phase will provide renewable power to partially or completely offset reliance on the power grid under certain conditions.
About Lactalis Canada
With 140 years of brand heritage, Lactalis Canada is committed to enriching and nurturing the lives of Canadians by producing nutritious and great tasting dairy products. Named on Forbes 2022 list of Canada’s Best Employers, Lactalis Canada directly employs more than 4,000 Canadians, supports hundreds of farming families and contributes to the livelihoods of thousands of Canadians who provide essential services to Lactalis Canada’s more than 30 operating sites including 20 manufacturing facilities. The company’s iconic brands include Cracker Barrel, Black Diamond, P’tit Québec, Balderson, Cheestrings Ficello, aMOOza!, Astro, Khaas, siggi’s, IÖGO, IÖGO nanö, Olympic, Lactantia, Beatrice, Marie Morin Canada, Galbani and Président. Lactalis Canada is part of Lactalis Group, the world’s leading dairy company, headquartered in Laval, France. For more information, visit www.lactalis.ca.
