U.K-based Hilton Foods has announced an investment of $192 million to build its first North American food processing and distribution facility in Brantford.

The Ontario government is supporting the expansion with a $1.5 million investment from the Southwestern Ontario Development Fund. The project is expected to create up to 150 jobs.

“Hilton Foods’ decision to establish its first North American facility in Ontario is a testament to the robust business environment our government has worked to create by lowering the cost of doing business, cutting red tape and creating new trade opportunities for Ontario businesses,” said Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. “Our government will continue to make strategic investments to protect Ontario’s economy, create good-paying jobs, and build a more competitive, resilient and self-reliant economy.”

Hilton Foods Canada Inc. will build a new 230,000-square-foot food processing and warehouse distribution facility that will process protein products, including beef, pork, lamb, and seafood, for distribution centres as far as Mississauga, Cornwall and Moncton.

“Today is an exciting milestone and the official start of construction on our very first Hilton Foods facility in Canada,” said Matt Lee, Regional CEO of Hilton Foods. “This is the beginning of a long-term commitment to Ontario’s food supply chain, to the people of this region, and to the future of high-quality Canadian food products, right here in Brantford, Ontario. We’re proud to be bringing innovation, quality, and efficiency to the food supply chain, and most importantly, provide Canadian families with products they can trust and enjoy every day.”

The Southwestern Ontario Development Fund is a stream of Ontario’s Regional Development Program (RDP), launched in 2019 to provide tailored financial assistance and advisory services to help businesses and municipalities invest in equipment, innovation, workforce development, and market expansion in eastern and southwestern Ontario.

To date, the RDP has supported over 165 projects, leveraged $2.1 billion in investments, and created more than 4,000 jobs in the province.