Lactalis Canada, which produces such cheese brands as Cracker Barrel, Black Diamond, Balderson, Astria and Lactantia, is soon going to be distributing its products out of a new Oshawa centre.
The Canadian subsidiary of France-based Lactalis Group has entered into a long-term lease for a 379,000 square-foot distribution centre at the Northwood Business Park, located at Taunton Road and Thornton Road in Oshawa.
The distribution centre, to be developed, built and leased by Broccolini, was facilitated by CBRE Limited and designed by GKC Architecture and Design. It’s expected to take about a year to get it fully constructed, with opening set for the fall of 2024. It’s expected to create a total of 80 jobs.
“Lactalis Canada’s new facility in Oshawa will become the largest distribution centre, from a capacity standpoint, for Lactalis Group globally,” said Mark Taylor, president and CEO, Lactalis Canada. “This bold step exemplifies Lactalis Canada’s growth ambitions in Canada as a dairy leader and, more importantly, reinforces our continued commitment and investment in the country and communities in which we operate.”
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“The Greater Toronto Area (GTA) is the optimal hub for this part of our supply chain network across Canada,” said Eric Seguin, senior vice-president, supply chain, Lactalis Canada. “The Oshawa distribution centre is poised to meet the current needs and future demands of our business and customers, while its sustainable design will transform our network effectiveness and contribute to Lactalis Canada’s ESG agenda in reducing its carbon footprint.”
“Broccolini is proud to partner with Lactalis Canada on this significant new facility. For nearly 75 years, we have been building relationships with some of the world’s most recognizable brands, and this partnership is yet another example of how we can work together to achieve great things. We are honoured to be chosen by Lactalis Canada as developer, builder and property manager, and look forward to handing over the keys to this zero-carbon ready facility next year,” said Michael Broccolini, chief investment officer, Broccolini.
The facility will be located at 1680 Thornton Rd. N., and the company said it will be zero-carbon ready, have energy-efficient lighting controls, heat generated from the refrigeration system, a white roof to reduce the heat island effect and have solar panels on the roof in a future phase to provide renewable power to partially or completely offset reliance on the power grid.
