Mar 16, 2023

McCain Foods invests $600 million in Canada facility

Frozen potato product giant McCain Foods is making a substantial investment in the size of its facility and output in Coaldale, Alberta. The $600 million CAD investment will double the size and workforce of its Coaldale processing facility.

The project is a significant economic boost for the region that will create 260 new jobs. The investment is reflective of McCain’s strong business growth and reconfirms the company’s commitment to food production and agriculture in Canada, according to a news release.

“The development in Alberta marks our largest global investment in our 65-year history, totalling $600 million, while underscoring our commitment to the future of agriculture and innovation in Canada,” Max Koeune, president and CEO, McCain Foods, said in the release. “This will fuel continued growth for the business, allowing us to serve key markets further by bringing customers high quality potatoes that begin with our dedicated local farming community.”

Best practices will be implemented to ensure the facility helps McCain continue to work towards its goal to cut greenhouse gas emissions across its global operations in half by the end of the decade, according to the release. The expansion will include wind turbines and solar panels, providing 100% renewable electricity to the Coaldale site.

Additionally, renewable biogas generated at the wastewater treatment facility will be maximized and transported to the steam boilers to offset natural gas demands. To further build on sustainability efforts, a water recycling system will be implemented to produce clean potable water to be used in the manufacturing process.

The expansion will create two new state-of-the-art production lines. Once fully operational, the expansion project will add both hourly and salaried employees to work on these lines, more than doubling the workforce at Coaldale to 485.

Construction on the expansion is expected to start later this year.

McCain Foods is a Canadian multinational frozen food company that markets itself as the world’s largest frozen potato products manufacturer.