The facility, which will begin commercial production in 2020, will be fully dedicated to producing Mini Babybel cheese.
The project will require an investment of C$87m (US$66m) and create 170 jobs spread between the Sorel-Tracy plant and Bel Canada's Montréal head office. The French cheese company said it will also contribute to increasing demand for Canadian milk.
Realizing this project will achieve the Bel Group's goal to produce locally, to better meet the needs of the Canadian market.
‘Good news for local dairy’
Catherine Thomas, president of Bel Canada, said Bel has been marketing its products in Canada since 1957.
“With this new plant, we are becoming a full-fledged Québec dairy processor," Thomas said.
The project continues the strategy that Bel Canada has implemented over more than 10 years, to prioritize local manufacturing to bolster the company's growth in the Canadian market.
Bruno Letendre, chair of Les Producteurs de lait du Québec, said, "This cheese is currently imported and will soon be produced with 100% Canadian milk. This is good news for local dairy producers. This investment will generate employment and much-needed economic benefits in our regions.”
Bel Canada
Bel Canada's plant will be built on the site adjacent to Laiterie Chalifoux—a company established in Sorel-Tracy in 1920 with whom industrial synergies are expected. Sorel-Tracy is situated on the St Lawrence River, between Montréal and Québec City.
The Bel Group has 12,700 employees in 30 subsidiaries around the world. Its products are prepared at 32 production sites and distributed in nearly 130 countries.
The Bel Canada subsidiary was established in 2005. Two of its main brands—Boursin and The Laughing Cow — are produced in Canada through subcontracting partnership agreements with local dairy processors.