Olymel to shutter pork and poultry services

SAINT-HYACINTHE, QUE. — Olymel LP plans to shut two vegetation within the coming months, affecting about 400 jobs within the firm.

The Canadian meat processor and distributor mentioned it could be closing its pork boning and packaging plant in Princeville, Que., with the final day of operations being Nov. 10. The choice will have an effect on 301 workers.

The corporate mentioned any operations from Princeville can be taken over by three different Olymel slaughter, reducing and boning vegetation in Saint-Esprit, Yamachiche and Ange-Gardien, Que.

“Immediately greater than ever, it’s essential to proceed to rethink our group with a purpose to optimize all of our actions,” mentioned Yanick Gervais, president and chief government officer of Olymel. “The contemporary pork business is slowly getting again on observe after two years of tumult that pressured us to reorganize our operations. This determination, troublesome however crucial, is a part of Olymel’s want to proceed our efforts to return to profitability within the sector, for the advantage of our total group.”

The Princeville plant repurposed operations within the final 12 months and shifted to value-added actions, based on the corporate.

Olymel additionally introduced the closing of its poultry additional processing plant in Paris, Ont. Roughly 93 workers shall be affected by this determination, with the final day of operations scheduled for Dec. 22.

Because the Paris location closes, Olymel mentioned it plans to take a position C$8 million into its Oakville poultry operation, which might create 62 new positions. The corporate mentioned the Orenda plant would additionally develop with the restructuring of its poultry enterprise.

Mr. Gervais mentioned the Paris and Oakville vegetation had been working beneath their capacities, so the choice was made to consolidate the operations.

Olymel mentioned it plans to increase its poultry additional processing plant in Sainte-Rosalie by taking the tools from its Paris plant and putting in it there to extend capability.

The corporate mentioned it accelerated the closing of its Saint-Simon distribution heart and expects operations to cease on Jan. 26, 2024. The choice to speed up the closure was as a result of decline in throughput following a discount in slaughter volumes on the facility.

Olymel mentioned 15 workers got discover of termination and supplied the chance to relocate to a different Olymel distribution heart or one other facility within the Sainte-Hyacinthe area.

The corporate mentioned it plans to supply relocation alternatives for employees at different Olymel services inside Ontario and Quebec.

These bulletins added to the varied restructuring strikes Olymel made in latest months.

The corporate mentioned in late Could that it could cut back hog manufacturing in a number of models in Western Canada.

Earlier than that, Olymel acknowledged it could shut a big hog processing plant in Quebec throughout April that will layoff round 994 employees.

Then in February, the corporate mentioned it could shut two different pork processing vegetation.