Sofina Foods Inc. of Markham has bought the Quality Packers
brand name and the Great Lakes Specialty Foods Inc. plant in Mitchell, and is
converting the Mitchell facility to handle turkeys.
Both were in bankruptcy.
Sofina also owns the former Fearman’s and Maple Leaf Foods
hog-packing plant in Burlington.
The company hasn’t said when turkey processing will begin,
other than it will be this year.
"The addition of the Mitchell facility is evolutionary
to our current operations in Dublin, Ontario," said Sofina vice-president
Jeff McDowell.
"The Mitchell facility provides Sofina Foods with the
ability to provide fresh turkey to our further processing operations in London
and Brampton, (and) confirms our commitment to the Ontario turkey industry, and
Ontario turkey farmers,” he said.
“This is the largest single investment in the Canadian
turkey industry in over 25 years."
Sofina
Foods has a broad portfolio of branded and private label pork, beef, turkey,
and chicken products sold under a number of brand names including Lilydale,
Janes, Mastro, San Daniele, Fearmans Pork, Fletcher's, Vienna, Quality Meats,
San Benedetto, Lavazza and Rio Mare.
Sofina
Foods operates 18 HACCP-approved manufacturing facilities, 17 of them in Canada and one in the
northwestern United States and three hatcheries .
It has
more than 4,800 employees.
