Facility to provide opportunities for Ontario farmers and hundreds of
jobs for local families
LONDON, ON, May 24, 2012 /CNW/ - At an event held this morning, Dr.
Oetker Canada, the maker of many beloved frozen pizza brands, dessert
brands and dry baking mixes for both retail and food service, welcomed
the announcement of federal funding support for the company's frozen
pizza production facility in London, Ontario. The plant, which will act
as a production hub for the company's North American pizza operations,
will create a minimum of 120 permanent jobs once the facility is
operational. It is supported through the Federal Economic Development
Agency for Southern Ontario's (FedDev Ontario) Prosperity Initiative,
as well as Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's AgriProcessing
Initiative.
"We are pleased to have been able to work closely with officials from
FedDev Ontario and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada," said Dr.
Christian F. von Twickel, Executive Vice President of Dr. Oetker Canada
Ltd. "We are delighted to be able to participate in today's
announcement and thank the Federal government for the financial support
provided to Dr. Oetker Canada for this project. As a fourth generation
family-owned and family-run business, we are excited to be expanding
our operations in Canada and creating many new jobs in London."
The London facility will help Dr. Oetker produce up to 50 million frozen
pizzas per year for the Canadian and U.S markets and source
high-quality ingredients such as cheese, flour, meats and tomato sauce
from Ontario farmers and food processors.
The company's famous "Trattoria" was onsite during the announcement
treating guests to the company's pizza following remarks by Dr.
Christian F. von Twickel, the Hon. Gary Goodyear, and MP Joe Preston,
who were joined by MP Ed Holder and MP Susan Truppe.
"Canada is an excellent market for Dr. Oetker. Canadians have grown to
trust our brand: they are loyal to their favourite Dr. Oetker products,
and welcome the new ones we introduce," said Dr. von Twickel.
"The London facility will produce our Ristorante and Casa di Mama
pizzas, as well as our newest product - Panebello pizza," he added.
Dr. Oetker Canada has been in operation since 1960 and ranks as one of
the top five subsidiaries for the organization which operates in over
than 35 countries, and has production facilities in 15. The Canadian
unit has 120 employees today, produces over 300 products, and has
doubled in size over the last five years due to new product development
and a culture that thrives on innovation, quality products and fresh
thinking. Most recently Dr. Oetker has seen success with its frozen
pizza line, in fact nearly one in three frozen pizzas sold in Canada
are Dr. Oetker pizzas. The company also operates a manufacturing and
R&D facility located in Mississauga, Ontario. The Dr. Oetker pizza
plant is slated to take up operations in late 2013/early 2014.
About Dr. Oetker Canada
Since 1960, Dr. Oetker Canada Ltd. has provided innovative quality food
products to Canadian consumers. Recognized as one of the fastest
growing food manufacturing companies in Canada, Dr. Oetker produces
and distributes a variety of desserts and dry baking mixes (Shirriff,
Added Touch and Dr. Oetker branded) and frozen pizzas (Ristorante, Casa
di Mama and Panebello). The Canadian company is a subsidiary of the
family-run Oetker Group which is currently led by Mr. Richard Oetker,
great-grandson of the original founder. Established in 1891 with the
launch of Germany's first baking powder, today Dr. Oetker carries out a
legacy rooted in the belief that "quality is the best recipe" and a
commitment to building a sustainable presence in the communities in
which it does business. In 2009, sales were $2.5 billion.
