The Quebec-based salad company behind a new packing plant in Coldstream had originally been aiming to have the facility up and running by the end of this month.
Now Vegpro International, which sells its products under the “Fresh Attitude Salad Greens” brand, is aiming to have the facility open by late summer.
Jonathan Blais, a regional director with the company, said a “tough winter” in the Okanagan region caused some delays.
Once it opens, the plant will operate all year-round. In the summer, it will package produce from nearby fields and in the winter, the leafy greens will come from warmer climates.
“The main product we do is… washed salad greens,” Blais explained.
The company is still looking to hire around 70 year-round workers for the packing plant.
“We are quite optimistic that we are going to be able to fill a lot of the jobs locally,” Blais said.
In the meantime, the company has planted some test crops to get used to local growing conditions and they are looking to hire more seasonal agricultural workers right away.
“On the farm side, we have already hired half a dozen locals and we are looking to hire another 20,” Blais said.
Right now, their salad mixes aren’t sold locally but they will be, and when its products do hit Okanagan store shelves, the company is hoping to cash in on the “buy local” trend.
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