Bimbo Canada announces $15 million expansion of Hamilton’s Canada Bread bakery

A $15-million investment at Hamilton's Canada Bread facility is slated to bring one of the most competitive" tortilla production lines in the world to the Red Hill Business Park.

Inside the Nebo Road bakery Thursday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced that Bimbo Canada, the parent company of Canada Bread, would be expanding the facility, bringing in cutting-edge production technology" to bake tortillas in Steeltown.

To support the $15-million buildout, the province will be providing a $1.5-million grant through its regional development program, according to a press release.

Manufacturing and production facilities like Bimbo are the lifeblood of communities across the province," said Ford. Our government is thrilled to support this expansion."

Bimbo Canada spokesperson Sylvia Sicuso told The Spectator the new lines will create 17 new jobs at the bakery and require less manual intervention and higher skills."

They're expected to begin production later this year, Sicuso added. The expansion is taking place at the newer plant, as the company operates two different bakeries, both on Nebo Road.

Mayor Andrea Horwath said the funding will allow the facility, which is the largest commercial bakery in Canada, to become more advanced" as it brings in one of the most competitive and productive tortilla lines anywhere in the world."

We remain committed to helping you grow in our community," added Horwath.

Sicuso said the high-speed production lines will increase the companies output of tortillas by 25 per cent, as they work to meet growing demand" on grocery store shelves across Canada.

Speaking to reporters, Trade Minister Vic Fedeli said when the company filed a grant application with the province, they noted that consumers are shifting from sandwich bread to wraps out of convenience.

According to Sicuso, the lines will produce a variety of tortillas under the Dempster's brand, adding to their lineup of sliced bread, buns, rolls and English muffins, all baked under both the Dempster's and Villagio brands, she noted.

Fedeli said the province sees the grant funding through its regional development program as an extra push" for companies to expand their operations in Ontario - even if they have a footprint elsewhere.

In the case of Bimbo Canada, a subsidiary of Mexican multinational company Grupo Bimbo, the company has facilities across Canada, including in Quebec, Alberta, Manitoba and British Columbia.

In a press release, Bimbo Canada president Marie-Eve Royer thanked the province for their support, while noting that the company looks forward to continuing to work with the province, as well as local and industry partners."

Canada Bread opened its doors in the Red Hill Business Park back in 2010 and, at the time, was cited as one of the city's greatest economic development wins in many years. Four years later, Maple Leaf Foods sold the company to Grupo Bimbo for $1.83 billion.

Norm Schleehahn, director of economic development, told The Spectator that the initial opening of the factory more than a decade ago was the catalyst" in building the east Mountain manufacturing quarter.

We look forward to continue working with them as an anchor organizations in the food and beverage sector in Hamilton," said Schleehahn.

Between their two Steeltown plants, the company employs around 600 people.

Fallon Hewitt is a reporter at The Spectator. fhewitt@thespec.com