Province gives meat processing plant $1.7 million to expand West Lincoln facility

Published September 18, 2023 at 3:47 pm

From left: Bryan Bebas, Production Control Manager, Highland Ridge; Edwin de Jonge, Nick de Jonge and Fred de Jonge, Leadership Team, Highland Packers; Sam Oosterhoff, MPP Niagara West; Marinus and Janneke de Jonge and Janet DeVries, Leadership Team, Highland Packers

A meat processing plant in West Lincoln will be getting a major expansion after the $1.7 million grant from the Province.

Highland Ridge in Smithville, which initially broke ground in April 2022, will now see the construction of a 17,932 square-foot addition, complete with meat processing equipment, including slicers, scales, metal detectors, smokehouse, grinders, and mixers.

“As a division of Highland Packers in Stoney Creek, the new Highland Ridge facility in Smithville will provide our growing operation with the space needed to continue producing our naturally smoked and ready-to-eat meat products,” said Marinus de Jonge, President of Highland Packers.

“This project, funded in part by the Strategic Agri-Food Processing Fund, helps increase our production capacity and we are thankful for this opportunity.”

Niagara West MPP Sam Oosterhoff called the facility “a model of innovation and economic growth in our region.”

The Strategic Agri-Food Processing Fund supports the priorities under the Grow Ontario Strategy, including promoting Ontario-made food products, increasing international exports, cultivating talent within the agri-food workforce, and strengthening the province’s food supply.

The program included a focus on strategic investments that benefit supply chains, address processing shortages, and contribute to supply stability.

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