Maple Leaf Foods Closing Plant to Optimize Poultry Network

Maple Leaf Foods has announced the closure of its Brantford, Ontario, CAN, plant and consolidate most of its Further Processed Poultry (FPP) production into its existing plant network through early 2025.

Earlier this year, the company determined that the 100-year-old facility would likely require significant ongoing investment to continue long-term operations.

As well, in March 2022, the company mentioned in a statement that it would be pursuing further optimization opportunities in its poultry network upon completion of its new value-added poultry processing plant in London, Ontario, at the end of that year.

"The decision to close any plant is one that we take very seriously," said Curtis Frank, president and CEO, Maple Leaf Foods. "We are very proud of our team at Brantford and appreciate the great work they do each and every day."

The closure of the plant will be completed in a phased manner to maintain business continuity and meet customer demand. The company will work with the affected team members to provide support and assistance through this transition, including supporting other opportunities at other Maple Leaf Foods facilities.

"Consolidating production into our current network allows us to reallocate our resources and increase our efficiencies by further optimizing the existing, more modern facilities in our network," said Frank. "This supports our vision to be the most sustainable protein company on Earth and our commitment to produce world-class products safely and efficiently as we support the growth of our protein business."

Maple Leaf Foods says that consolidating production enables it to focus on improving operational efficiency, cutting down on waste, and growing asset utilization.