Leclerc Foods has acquired the former Procter & Gamble factory in Brockville from Broccolini in a deal that’s expected to create more than 100 jobs and pump millions of dollars into the local economy.
Company officials said the purchase is part of a plan to invest more than $100 million in the facility over the next five years. The Ontario government is giving Leclerc $1.5 million to help modernize the plant through its Eastern Ontario Development Fund.
“This new facility will allow us to continue to grow our operations in full expansion,” Leclerc president Denis Leclerc said in a statement, adding the acquisition will give the Quebec-based snack manufacturer a stronger presence near the U.S. border.
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The company says it expects the 790,000-square-foot plant to become its largest production facility, surpassing its operations in Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures, Que., Hawkesbury and Cornwall.
The deal should provide a shot in the arm to Brockville’s economy after the site’s previous occupant, consumer packaged goods giant Procter & Gamble, moved out in 2020, leaving nearly 500 people out of work.
Leclerc says it expects to create more than 100 jobs in the city in the next few years. The firm says the California Avenue plant will start churning out products this summer and reach full capacity by early next year.
Leclerc Foods specializes in snack foods, including Célébration chocolate cookies, and exports its products to more than 30 countries.
