Question Period Note: Investment with Italpasta

Investment with Italpasta

• The Government of Canada, through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), supports businesses so they can scale-up, reach new markets, and grow.

• FedDev Ontario is providing Italpasta with a repayable contribution of $1.7 million to increase their production and meet growing demand of its made-in-Canada products.

• The agri-food sector is critically important for southern Ontario, and this investment further increases the competitiveness of food manufacturing in the region.

• This investment also helps a Canadian-owned agri-food business meet the rising demand for its products across North America.

• The Government of Canada will continue to find opportunities to strengthen businesses in Canada to build a strong future for the next generation.

• Founded in Canada in 1989, family-owned and operated Italpasta is a Brampton-based producer of pasta products.

• With a repayable contribution of $1.7 million, Italpasta is investing in advanced manufacturing equipment to increase production, enhance productivity and have the capacity to produce new products. This will support the company to meet the rising demand across North America.

• The project supports a growth-oriented Ontario agri-food manufacturer to enhance productivity and production capacity to grow in international markets.

• The equipment will contribute to the company’s competitiveness by reducing production times, the company’s energy consumption and its carbon footprint by 20 percent.

Background on the agri-food sector in Ontario

• Food production sector is a significant contributor to the southern Ontario economy, representing 18% of Ontario’s GDP by manufacturing industries and consist of 4,500 businesses, employing close to 105,000 people. It is also the third-largest food and beverage manufacturing sector in North America.

• FedDev Ontario makes investments that support the growth of businesses and communities in southern Ontario. These investments help companies to add new equipment or process, adopt clean technology, improve productivity, access new markets and create jobs.