Maple Leaf Foods, the meat and plant-based protein business in Canada, plans to close a poultry facility next year as a new site comes on stream.

Under a process deemed as an “optimisation” of its poultry network, Maple Leaf said the plant in Schomberg, Ontario, will continue to operate for the next 18 months.

Its new “value-added poultry processing plant” in London, Ontario, is due for completion late this year.

Production from Schomberg and another factory in Bradford in the same state, will gradually shift over to the London site by the end of 2023.

Once the transition is completed, Schomberg will close and the Bradford plant will switch to what Maple Leaf called “value-added opportunities”.

“The company deeply values the work of its team members at the Schomberg plant and expects to identify opportunities at other plants within the Maple Leaf network for those who are impacted as a result of the transition,” Maple Leaf said in a statement today (10 March).

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

Just Food is clarifying with publicly-listed Maple Leaf, which employs around 13,500 staff, whether there will be any potential redundancies at Schomberg.

Last month, the company said it was reassessing investment for its meat-free business following a disappointing run of sales. Maple Leaf launched a review of the operations, consisting of its Field Roast and Lightlife chilled plant-based protein lines, in November.

“The results to date confirm that the very high category growth rates previously predicted by many industry experts are unlikely to be achieved given current customer feedback, experience, buy rates and household penetration,” Maple Leaf said in its initial findings from the review.