Leamington: Tomato processing is in full swing

Highbury Canco has renewed a multi-year agreement with Kraft Heinz Canada and has tripled business since forming months after the November 2013 Heinz closure announcement.
 
Sam Diab, president and CEO of Highbury Canco in Leamington is shown at the business on Thursday, September 12, 2019.

 “I think we’ve by far exceeded our expectations in terms of growth, in terms of what we could have dreamed of five years ago, to think that we’ve tripled in size,” Sam Diab, President and CEO of Highbury Canco, said Thursday. “We’re on a good trajectory and we just want to keep that going.”

The focus was on survival when a consortium of investors formed Highbury Canco, bought the Leamington plant, and secured a five-year agreement to make Heinz products in 2014, said Diab, who is one of four owners.
A second, multi-year agreement was announced this week and was said to be worth about USD 1 billion in the retail value of the products. The investment and the risk Highbury Canco took, as well as the work of the economic development agencies and the former mayor, is paying off, MacDonald said.
 
Diab said the company is proud to continue its partnership with Kraft Heinz Canada and the agreement — he couldn’t divulge how long this deal runs — helps support the entire Leamington community.
Kraft Heinz Canada remains Highbury Canco’s largest customer and uses about 180 million pounds (about 82,000 mT) of Ontario tomatoes in its products a year. The Leamington plant makes more than 200 Heinz products now, more than it started with five years ago. Plus Highbury Canco has diversified into its own products and is co-packing for several large food processors and beverage companies, Diab said.

Business overall has tripled at the 2.1-million-square-foot (19.5 hectares) plant with 24 production lines. “We jumped into this with both feet five years ago because we saw a future for this facility and we knew that a facility this size in this location once it closed would be very difficult to find a future,” Diab said. “We had to expand. But didn’t really know to what extent and how quickly we would be able to do it.”
The renewed contract gives Highbury Canco some security, he said. The plant produces Heinz beans, Heinz tomato juice, Classico Pasta Sauces and other Heinz products including vinegar, canned pasta, chili sauces, salad dressings and baby cereal. Highbury Canco has its own products such as Kettle Creek BBQ sauce which is sold at Costco. It doesn’t produce ketchup but French’s ketchup uses tomato paste from the plant. Because the facility is so large and automated, it co-packs only for large food and beverage companies which Diab said he can’t disclose.
The plant generates its own electricity using jet engine turbines that produce power while creating heat and steam the plant needs.

 A load of freshly harvested tomatoes are shown at Highbury Canco in Leamington on Thursday, September 12, 2019. Tomato processing is in full swing.
The processing tomato harvest started in mid-August and will run into October. This year the plant is expected to accept 340 million pounds (154,000 tonnes) of tomatoes which in a few years may equal what Heinz bought from farmers, Diab said.

According to the figures published by the OPVG, the Ontario industry contracted slightly less than 465,000 short tons (422,000 mT) this year, produced by 74 growers.

Some complementary data
Heinz through the years…
Heinz built its first building in the town on April 15, 1909. Some photos available at:
https://windsorstar.com/news/local-news/photos-heinz-through-the-years

Source: windsorstar.com/news