Saladexpress, a Canada-based vegetable and salad producer, has announced its closure, ceasing all activities. The company, headquartered in St-Remi, Quebec, focused on processing and preparing fresh vegetable products in various formats, including fresh, packaged raw, or cooked.
The closure comes after 35 years in the business, as stated by Martine Leduc, Saladexpress’ director of marketing and innovation. Leduc highlighted the challenges faced by the industry, particularly in light of a difficult season for market gardeners last summer, impacting processing operations.
Leduc emphasized the efforts of employees, suppliers, brokers, and customers in overcoming challenges but acknowledged the inevitability of the closure in the current economic climate.
The Association of Market Gardeners of Quebec expressed concern over the closure, with general director Patrice Léger Bourgoin calling it “very bad news.” Bourgoin stressed the need for government assistance to support producers during this challenging time.
Saladexpress, with 135 employees and sales offices in Canada and the US, was founded in 1989. In 2018, France-based agri-food cooperative Agrial invested in the company. This partnership was seen as mutually beneficial, representing Agrial’s first significant investment in Quebec.
Agrial, with over 60 fruit and vegetable production and processing sites worldwide, aims to strengthen its presence in the food and beverage industry through strategic collaborations like the one with Saladexpress.
