Nestle expanding ice cream plant, creating jobs
Construction underway on addition as company strives to meet demand
London’s status as ice cream capital of Canada was enhanced Friday as Nestle Canada announced a $55.5-million expansion of its local plant that will create about 57 jobs. Construction has already begun on a 9,000-square-foot addition that will boost production of the plant’s signature products such as Drumstick cones and premium Haagen-Dazs ice cream.
The new jobs include 12 permanent and 45 seasonal positions that will become full time. “This will help us with capacity to meet demand from consumers and bring new products to market,” said Jayne Payette, head of Nestle’s ice cream division. Plant manager Arthur Van Raalte said some of the new icecream products will be produced next year.
Nestle is one of the leading employers in London’s agri-food sector, with about 750 workers in the peak spring and summer seasons.
Nestle Canada is a branch of a Swiss-based multinational and has 3,500 employees across Canada.
The London plant, which is located on Wilton Grove Road, was established about 52 years ago and produces about 99 per cent of all Nestle’s ice cream sold in Canada.
Nestle is the leader in the Canadian ice cream market with about 30 per cent market share followed by Unilever (Breyers) and Chapman’s.
Besides Haagen-Dazs and Drumsticks, the plant also produces the Parlour and Real Dairy brands, fruit popsicles, and various sundae and bar products based on candy bars and cookies such as Kit Kat and Coffee Crisp and Oreos.
The plant employs about 750 people in peak season, from March to September, and about 500 during the rest of the year. The 11 production lines turn out about 60 million litres of ice cream a year.
Ontario Transportation Minister Kathryn McGarry was one of the officials at the announcement, along with London North Centre MP Peter Fragiskatos and London Mayor Matt Brown, who noted that his father once had a summer job at the factory.
McGarry announced that Nestle would receive $390,000 from the Southwest Ontario Development Fund. The funding is being used to improve cleaning technology on the production lines
Van Raalte first hinted at the expansion at a manufacturers’ forum last October.
The plant has undergone numerous refits to expand production, but Van Raalte said it was running out of room.
Van Raalte said construction of the expansion should be completed by the end of the year.