Olymel, Canada, began construction of an $8 million expansion at its agrifood processing plant in St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Canada. This investment funds the construction of new facilities and the acquisition of new equipment for chicken boning and cooking, a new activity that will be added to the facility's existing production operations. This addition will also create 40 new jobs.

The facility will be supplied with fresh products by Olymel's poultry primary processing plants in St-Damase, Montérégie, and Sunnymel, New Brunswick. Cooking and boning chickens will allow Olymel to produce value-added diced chicken for clients in the hotel, restaurant and institution (HRI) network. Once completed, the construction work will add nearly 14,000 square feet to the facility on Claude Street, bringing its total surface area to over 37,000 square feet. New production operations should begin in April 2018.

"Olymel continues to develop its facilities in the poultry sector. This $8 million investment in our St-Jean-sur-Richelieu plant will make us more efficient and further diversify our operations. This new activity should ultimately have a positive impact on the poultry sector in Quebec and contribute to St-Jean-sur-Richelieu's economic development by creating new jobs," says Réjean Nadeau, president and CEO.