Construction
Frito-Lay expanding Cambridge plant with new warehouse
CAMBRIDGE — Frito-Lay Canada is expanding its Cambridge manufacturing plant with the construction of a multimilliondollar warehouse.
Site preparation work is underway and construction is expected to begin soon on the new 144,000-square-foot warehouse on the northwest corner of the Bishop Street North property.
“The investment in the site is really to expand and modernize the plant,” said Sheri Morgan, spokesperson for Frito-Lay parent PepsiCo Foods Canada.
The new warehouse, for finished products, will allow for a broader product offering and improved speed and accuracy of customer service, Morgan said. The facility is expected to be completed late next year.
The plant, which has a sixdecade history in Cambridge, makes potato chips and other snack foods. It’s Frito-Lay’s only manufacturing facility in Ontario and produces Lay’s, Doritos, Tostitos, Ruffles, SunChips, Cheetos, Miss Vickie’s, Smartfood and Twistos. The majority of the products are sold in Canada, but some are exported to the U.S.
“We’ve been a proud member of the Cambridge community and the neighbourhood we’ve been in for 60 years,” Morgan said. “We look forward to many more years ahead.”
The Cambridge plant employs about 650 people in full and parttime roles. Morgan said some positions could change as a result of the new project, but said any new opportunities would be offered to current employees before being offered to the broader community.
PepsiCo is not disclosing the total cost of the warehouse project. The value of the building permit issued by the City of Cambridge is just under $23 million.
“It’s a significant multi-year initiative,” said Morgan.
This new project comes on the heels of additional work, including equipment modernization, that’s been completed at the plant recently. In 2015, Premier Kathleen Wynne toured the plant while announcing a $3-million provincial contribution toward a $12-million modernization project that improved efficiency and ergonomics for employees and introduced a high-speed packaging system.