Huntingdon, U.K.-based meat and seafood packer Hilton Foods is expanding its footprint to North America with the construction of a new facility in Brantford, Ontario, Canada.
“Today is an exciting milestone and the official start of construction on our very first Hilton Foods facility in Canada,” Hilton Foods Regional CEO Matt Lee said in a release. “This is the beginning of a long-term commitment to Ontario’s food supply chain, to the people of this region, and to the future of high-quality Canadian food products, right here in Brantford. We’re proud to be bringing innovation, quality, and efficiency to the food supply chain and, most importantly, provide Canadian families with products they can trust and enjoy every day.”
Hilton Foods currently operates 24 facilities with locations across Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, with plans to open a facility in Saudi Arabia, as well.
On 24 June, Hilton Foods announced that it would be investing CAD 192 million (USD 141 million, EUR 120 million) in building the 230,000-square-foot processing and warehouse distribution facility, which is expected to provide 150 jobs to the community. The company said the facility will process protein products – including seafood – for distribution.
Hilton Foods first announced its plans to establish a new Canadian subsidiary – Hilton Foods Canada – to oversee the establishment of a facility in the country in 2023 after signing a long-term supply agreement with Walmart Canada.
“We’ve conducted extensive Canadian consumer research to deeply understand their needs, enabling us to harness innovation and develop the optimal product range,” the company noted in its 2024 annual report, released in April of this year. “Simultaneously, we have broken ground on our new facility while refining our manufacturing lines, automation, and store order-picking services – all in partnership with Walmart to deliver exceptional value and meet evolving customer expectations, supported by best practices from our existing international footprint.”
Hilton Foods' report noted that Hilton Foods Canada is set to launch in 2027.
"This is a tremendous vote of confidence in Ontario’s resilient economy and world-class workforce, as Hilton Food Group chooses Ontario for their first North American food processing plant,” Canadian Minister of Agriculture, Food, and Agribusiness Trevor Jones said in a statement. “Combined with other recent private sector expansions and Brantford’s booming agri-food sector, this CAD 192 million investment strengthens our province’s position as a global agri-food manufacturing leader, creating 150 good-paying jobs and strengthening regional prosperity."
As part of the Hilton Foods’ expansion into the region, the Southwestern Ontario Development Fund is investing CAD 1.5 million (USD 1.1 million, EUR 937,340) in growing the province’s food manufacturing industry. The Ontario government has also decided to expand the Ontario Made Manufacturing Investment Tax Credit to provide an additional CAD 1.3 million (USD 952,219, EUR 812,362) over a three-year period to support businesses investing in manufacturing or processing equipment, machinery, or facilities in Ontario.
“Hilton Foods’ decision to establish its first North American facility in Ontario is a testament to the robust business environment our government has worked to create by lowering the cost of doing business, cutting red tape and creating new trade opportunities for Ontario businesses,” Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation, and Trade Vic Fedeli said in a release. “Our government will continue to make strategic investments to protect Ontario’s economy, create good-paying jobs, and build a more competitive, resilient, and self-reliant economy.”
