Canadian vegetable processor Nortera is investing C$28m ($19.9m) to boost capacity at its Saint-Denis-sur-Richelieu facility in Quebec.
In a statement yesterday (15 October), the company said that “ensuring food sovereignty is emerging as a top priority”, considering economic uncertainty, potential tariffs and rising import competition.
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The investment, it added would help to “strengthen the sector’s competitiveness while generating essential economic benefits for the country’s agricultural and rural communities”.
The capital injection will boost capacity at the site, which specialises in canning vegetables and legumes and preparing soups and sauces, from six million to 10.6 million case-equivalents.
Nortera said the programme intends to support the continuity of local agricultural production in Quebec in the coming years.
As part of the move, the company will close its Saint-Césaire plant, located roughly 60km south from Saint-Denis-sur-Richelieu, by late January next year.
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By GlobalDataThe shift is expected to create 70 permanent roles at Saint-Denis-sur-Richelieu and result in the loss of around 100 positions at Saint-Césaire, the company said.
Commenting on the news, Hugo Boisvert, CEO of Nortera, said: “This major investment marks an important step for Nortera and for Canada’s entire agri-food sector. The Saint-Denis-sur-Richelieu plant will become a key site in our Canadian industrial network, equipped with modern equipment and enhanced production capacity.”
Nortera operates 13 plants across Canada and the US, processing and marketing more than 400,000 tonnes of vegetables annually with around 540 farming partners, and employs close to 3,000 people across the region.
The company, previously known as Bonduelle Americas Long Life, became Nortera in 2022 when Fonds de solidarité FTQ and Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec each acquired a 32.5% stake, leaving Bonduelle Group with 35%.
France-based Bonduelle had entered exclusive talks with the two Canadian institutional investors in May 2022 following a strategic review of the Bonduelle Americas Long Life business launched in September 2021.
