Kraft Heinz Canada, Highbury Canco Extend Leamington Facility Agreement Through 2027

Approximately $1 billion in Kraft Heinz Canada products will be produced in Leamington over the next four years

LEAMINGTON, Ontario--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Kraft Heinz Canada and Highbury Canco announced the extension of their partnership agreement in Leamington for another four years, with the production deal now in place until the end of 2027. Today’s announcement marks the third consecutive extension in the longstanding partnership between the two organizations in Southern Ontario, a connection that has served to support jobs and bolster the local economy.

Highbury Canco employs more than 600 Canadians at its 2.1-million-square-foot facility in Leamington, where it produces some of Kraft Heinz Canada’s most beloved products, including Heinz beans, Heinz tomato juice and Classico pasta sauce. Kraft Heinz Canada, the country’s second largest food manufacturer, is excited to extend the partnership with Highbury Canco to ensure many of its locally sourced products will continue to be produced in Leamington for years to come.

“We’re proud to extend our agreement with Highbury Canco and look forward to continuing to have Kraft Heinz Canada products produced by the talented and hard-working employees at its Leamington facility for another four years,” said Simon Laroche, President, Kraft Heinz Canada. “We’ve built strong local partnerships across Canada, our second largest market globally, for over 100 years and this new deal signals our continued commitment to being a strong partner to Canadian communities.”

Kraft Heinz Canada continues to be Highbury Canco’s largest partner in Canada, with more than 220 million pounds of Ontario tomatoes being used in its products annually. Highbury Canco’s Leamington facility exclusively produces the tomato paste that is used in all the Heinz Ketchup made at Kraft Heinz’s Mont Royal facility in Montreal.

“Extending our partnership with Kraft Heinz Canada for another four years provides significant stability for our facility, and for our workforce,” said Sam Diab, CEO at Highbury Canco. “This is a mutually beneficial alliance that is of great significance to the Leamington community, and for all the Canadians that can continue to enjoy Kraft Heinz Canada products being produced at facilities such as ours.”

The estimated retail value of Kraft Heinz Canada products that will be produced at Highbury Canco’s Leamington facility over the next four years exceeds $1 billion.

About Kraft Heinz Canada

Kraft Heinz Canada’s heritage can be traced back over a century to when James Lewis Kraft of Stevensville, Ontario began selling cheese from a horse-drawn wagon in 1903. Heinz Canada was established in 1909 in Leamington, Ontario where its first products were pickles sourced from local growers. Following the 2015 merger between Kraft Foods Group and H.J. Heinz Company, Kraft Heinz Canada became a subsidiary of the newly formed Kraft Heinz Company (NASDAQ: KHC). Now the country’s second largest food and beverage company, iconic Kraft Heinz Canada products like Kraft Peanut Butter, Heinz Ketchup, KD, Philadelphia Cream Cheese, Renée’s Dressing, Jell-O, Classico, Kool-Aid and Maxwell House are found in over 97 percent of Canadian households.

Kraft Heinz Canada is driving transformation inspired by Kraft Heinz’s global purpose, Let’s Make Life Delicious, by creating memorable community moments through local initiatives such as Kraft Heinz Project Play and Kraft Hockeyville, while also supporting food banks across Canada through Kraft Heinz Project Pantry. Learn more about our journey by visiting kraftheinzcompany.com or following us on LinkedIn.