Beverage-maker and bottler Lee Li Holdings announced plans last month to invest more than $500 million to upgrade and expand its Mississauga bottling and packing facility.

The company plans to expand its current plant by 15,000 square feet and construct a new, state-of-the-art 85,000-square-foot facility.

Its new North American hub will focus on plastic bottle manufacturing for in-demand products like tea, coffee, sparkling water and flavoured water, ensuring more beverages that are sold across Canada and North America are made, filled and packaged in Ontario.

The project is expected to create 275 jobs.

“Our over half-billion-dollar investment in advanced manufacturing will ensure this great province is a global manufacturing and technology leader in the non-carbonated beverage market,” said John G. Spiteri, Executive VP and CAO of Lee Li subsidiary First Choice Beverage Inc.

The project would expand an existing plant and build a new facility in Mississauga, totalling over 100,000 square feet of new manufacturing capacity with new technology and equipment. This includes integration of AI-enabled production, automated warehousing and sustainable manufacturing practices that would reduce energy use, wastewater and plastic waste by more than 30%.

The new facility would focus on plastic bottle manufacturing for products including tea, coffee, sparkling water and flavoured water. It would also introduce a white-label line that produces and bottles beverages for store-brand customers using locally sourced ingredients. The expanded plant, with the addition of latest-generation equipment, would continue to co-pack juices and dairy-alternative products in gable-top cartons.

Lee Li’s investment would be supported with a loan of up to $90 million through the Invest Ontario Fund.

“This investment will be a remarkable win for Ontario as Lee Li deepens its commitment to the province after four decades of continued growth,” said Invest Ontario CEO Khawar Nasim. “We’re excited about the next chapter of a homegrown success story that will bring new opportunities to the community in Mississauga and drive manufacturing innovation in the province.”

Founded in Ontario in 1984, Lee Li began as a premium meat distributor and wholesale business. It has since grown into a diversified enterprise with a footprint spanning food and beverage manufacturing, cold storage, logistics, healthcare, real estate, and mining.