A food distribution company is looking to make the town of Ingersoll, Ont., the home of its newest distribution centre, bringing with it hundreds of new jobs for the surrounding community.
On Wednesday Dot Foods Canada, a subsidiary of Dot Foods, Inc., announced plans to start building a $39-million distribution centre off Clark Road near Highway 401 in the community east of London.
The company, which is the largest food industry redistributor in North America, plans to open the new facility in 2023.
“We’re very excited to have Dot Foods Canada join the community in Ingersoll,” said Ted Comiskey, Ingersoll mayor.
“This investment will provide great jobs to support hundreds of families within Ingersoll and area. Due to Ingersoll’s strategic location, this will introduce new opportunities within the food sector for the Town, Oxford County and Southwestern Ontario as a whole.”
The company expects the new facility to bring 200 new jobs to Ingersoll and surrounding areas over the next three to five years, with most positions for warehouse workers and truck drivers, with some office and administrative roles.
“This is great news for Ingersoll and Oxford,” said Ernie Hardeman, MPP for Oxford. “Dot Foods Canada’s significant investment in our area is a boost to our local economy and shows our region is well-positioned to meet the needs of new business.”
Dot Foods first started operating in Canada in 2016 with the purchase of Canadian food redistributor Marketwest, and set up distribution centres in Calgary and Brampton, Ont.
Once the new facility is complete, the company said it will replace operations at the currently leased Brampton location, which it said its operations have outgrown.
“We are excited about the plans for this new facility for our Canadian operations,” said John Tracy, Dot Foods Canada executive chairman.
“Dot’s distribution model is in high demand in Canada, and that demand has driven the need to find a location that will provide the space and land needed for future expansion opportunities to 500,000 square feet. Ingersoll is a wonderful community, and we look forward to being a part of it.”
Dot Transportation Canada is currently hiring truck drivers for the new facility who will work out of the company’s existing facility in Brampton until the Ingersoll distribution centre is complete.
Those interested in applying for a warehouse or office position at the new Ingersoll facility can check the company’s website for open positions in the coming months.
“This is the next step in helping us reach that potential. The new, larger distribution centre in Ingersoll will allow us to better service our current customers and reach new customers across the country,” said James Baggs, director of sales for Dot Foods Canada.