“We have been in Canada since 1887,” says Eric Berdan, Director, Factory
Operations. “Nestlé is focused on being economically sustainable, delivering on our business objectives and gaining market share. That only works when you have the right people, the right processes and the right production.”
With a century-old history in Canada, Nestlé is committed to growth in London, recently announcing a $51.1-million investment into the 52-year-old plant and 150 new full-time positions. In an industry where food safety is everything, early-stage investment from the Southwestern Ontario Development Fund was critical to Nestlé’s expansion, allowing the factory to enhance existing cleaning technology at each individual product line.
Almost 240 stock keeping units (SKUs) rotate throughout the factory each year, with 11 production lines and one more to come. Nestlé is dedicated to creating new products for its customers year after year, such as the London-developed and London-made Häagen-Dazs SPIRITS product – combining dessert flavours with premium spirits like Vodka Key Lime Pie.
Nestlé is also able to serve an entire country from one location. Situated close to the 400-series highway spanning the country, Nestlé’s refrigerated trucks transport thousands of crates of ice cream to Canadian cities from coast to coast.
One of the most heavily safety-tested foods in Canada, a reliable dairy supply is the foundation of Nestlé’s focus on food safety, which controls the entire production chain, from auditing raw material suppliers to the distribution chain for transporting ice cream.
Ontario’s entire food and beverage manufacturing sector is the third largest in North America, with manufacturing revenues of over $35 billion annually. London’s own food-processing sector has an existing employee base of more than 7,000, at companies ranging from Cargill Canada, to McCormick and Labatt Brewing Company. With the presence of several national and international companies, London has demonstrated sustainability and increased growth for the food and beverage industry.
To learn more about relocating, expanding or starting up a business in London Ontario Canada, please click here to visit the London Economic Development Corporation for more information.
