UK-based Hilton Food Group will establish its first food processing and distribution facility in North America, specifically in Canada.
The new 230,000-square-foot plant, located in Brantford, Ontario, will provide beef, pork, lamb, and seafood to distribution centres in Mississauga, Cornwall, and Moncton.
Matt Lee, CEO of Hilton Foods’ regional operations, stated: “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.”
The London-listed company, known for operating as a private-label business, announced its plans for the facility in 2023 after securing a long-term deal with Walmart.
Production at the factory is scheduled to commence next year. According to a statement from the Ontario government, this project is expected to generate 150 new jobs in the region.
Hilton Food Group plans to invest C$192m ($140m) into the facility, with the province contributing C$1.5m through its Southwestern Ontario Development Fund to support this expansion.
In its 2024 report, Hilton Food recorded £3.98bn ($5.41bn) in revenue, a figure nearly unchanged from 2023 but reflecting a 1.9% increase on a constant-currency basis. Notably, £1.47bn of this revenue originated from the UK and Ireland.
For the 52 weeks ending December 29, the company reported an increase in operating profit to £98.8m, rising from £86.1m the previous year.
Profit for the period also saw an increase, reaching £41.6m, up from the £38m recorded a year earlier.
Hilton Food supplies the US market with seafood following its acquisition of Dutch salmon processor Foppen in 2021.
Foppen, operating under the trading name of the Dutch Seafood Company, provides customers in the US with value-added branded and own-label smoked salmon products. However, it is important to note that Hilton Food currently lacks a manufacturing presence in the US.
