Source: The Gazette
Quebec Premier Pauline Marois speaks during a news conference in Boucherville, Que., south of Montreal, Friday, Sept. 6, 2013, where she announced an investment of $40-million in the Danone yogourt plant.
Photograph by: Graham Hughes , The Gazette
MONTREAL — Danone Canada, the Canadian arm of the European food multinational Groupe Danone SA., is going after a bigger slice of the surging Greek yogurt market.
The company is investing $40 million for production of its Oikos brand Greek yogurt at its headquarters and dairy products plant in Boucherville. Part of the money will go for installation of high-precision equipment.
The Quebec government has contributed a $5-million interest-free loan.
“The project will reassert our leadership as Canada’s largest yogurt producer,” said Danone Canada CEO Nick Krzyzaniak.
Danone’s Greek yogurt requires three times as much milk to create its thick texture than regular yogurt, and the protein content is twice as high, he said.
Oikos is a past winner of the “best Canadian new product” award from the Retail Council of Canada.
The latest investment, which reportedly will provide 25 direct jobs and 250 indirect ones, is “proof of our desire to give consumers products that are healthy and delicious,” Krzyzaniak added.
Three years ago, the company invested $50 million and created 31 jobs at the Boucherville plant to produce its DanActive probiotic drink for the Canadian market.
Danone Canada operates a coast-to-coast sales force selling fresh dairy products, bottled waters and baby and medical nutrition items. Its parent operates in more than 140 countries.
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