Company expands its operations to service customers in Ontario and Quebec with full line of products.
Del Monte Fresh Produce N.A., Inc. (Del Monte) announced that its first state-of-the-art Canadian distribution center, that opened in January this year, is now being complemented by the opening of a fresh cut facility in Oshawa, ON. The facility services the Toronto, Montreal, and Ottawa metropolitan areas with fresh produce.
Del Monte has distributed product in Canada for some time; however, this new facility has given the company the opportunity to offer Canadian retailers, foodservice operators, and consumers a much more diverse line of fresh products, including the ability to offer fresh cut and ripened produce. The 108,000 square foot distribution center includes the new fresh cut operation, significant refrigerated cooler space, and 15 pressurized banana rooms with the capacity to grow significantly over the next several years.
Del Monte’s first Canadian fresh cut facility was recently inspected and certified by the CFIA and officially started production this week. The facility offers a full line of ready-to-eat, fresh cut fruits and vegetables and will also be able to produce and market Del Monte’s new line of Del Café ready-to-eat fresh salads and snacks with protein. The operation has state-of-the art automation and equipment, as well as a test kitchen for the ability to continuously focus on developing new products
“Canada is an important market for us and our investment in this facility in Toronto is a testament to our commitment to the country, our retail partners, and Canadian consumers,” says Dennis Christou, Vice President of Marketing, North America for Del Monte. “While we have been able to offer whole fruits such as pineapples, bananas, melons, and avocados for many years, we are excited to expand our line in Canada to also ffer fresh cut fruits and vegetables. This is a very successful category for us in the U.S. and we are looking forward to helping it grow further in this market.”
