TORONTO — Canada Bread Co., Ltd. said it plans to close its bakery in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in November 2015. Production will shift to other bakeries in Atlantic Canada where there is available capacity with improved speed and efficiency, the company said.
The 50,000-square-foot bakery in Halifax employs approximately 105 associates. The bakery produces sliced bread and English muffins primarily under the Ben’s, Dempster’s, Villaggio and private label brands.
“Our industry is under mounting competitive pressure to become more efficient and this means we have to make very difficult decisions,” said Barry McLean, president of Canada Bread. “While this is the business reality, it is hard to make the necessary changes, particularly in a community where we have such a strong presence. We are doing everything possible to ease the impact on our people.”
Canada Bread said it gradually will wind-down operations starting as early as June, and will close the facility in November. The majority of production will be consolidated at Canada Bread’s bakeries in Moncton and Woodstock, New Brunswick. The company will continue to produce products under the Ben’s brand and deliver the same products in Atlantic Canada that its customers and consumers have come to expect.
Canada Bread operates 17 bakeries and employs approximately 4,400 associates across Canada. It distributes its products through a network of more than 1,000 routes operated by independent operators and some corporate associates.
