Advertisement

Potato processing plant in Portage la Prairie getting $460 million expansion

Construction will be starting this spring on a massive expansion at the Simplot Pant, just west of Portage la Prairie.

The company is spending $460 million on the project that will see the plant grow from 180,000 to 460,000 square feet.

Once the expansion is complete in fall 2018, 87 more people will work at the site.

The expansion will double Simplot’s demand for potatoes. Right now 65,000 acres of the vegetable are harvested yearly, which makes Manitoba the second largest potato producer in the country.

The province is pitching in with tax incentives and employee training.

Manitoba Hydro is providing $1 million in funding for electrical and natural gas efficiency projects. The Manitoba government is also providing tax financing up to $6.31 million and up to $522,000 in employee training.

Advertisement

Sponsored content

AdChoices