BRAMPTON, ON (August 31, 2023) –The City of Brampton Food Processing sector has been awarded a first place ranking in the Food Processing Leaders category of Business Facilities Magazine’s 19th Annual Metro Rankings Report. Compared to other international mega-cities in this category, including Los Angeles, Chicago, New York City and Dallas, Brampton remained at the number one spot on this list, scoring highest in factors such as employment opportunities, new projects and investments and programs that support the sector.
Brampton’s thriving food and beverage sector is a key part of the food cluster in Ontario, home to one of North America’s largest agri-food sectors.
Supported by industry-leading technology, top-quality products, and a rich agricultural tradition, Brampton’s food and beverage sector is a one-stop shop, complete with food testing, processing and packaging facilities as well as transportation, packaging design, equipment and refrigeration storage, all within the city. The sector contributes $1.3 billion annually to Canadian GDP and employs some 8,500 people in approximately 300 companies – across a range of manufacturing, processing and support industries.
To continue to bolster this sector, the City of Brampton is working with the industry to attract investments that will create jobs and opportunities for its residents and develop a strong and skilled workforce. As part of Food and Beverage Ontario’s CareersNOW! initiative, the City of Brampton partnered with the organization to conduct a regional workforce pilot in 2021/2022. Local employers, educators, regional stakeholders and employment agencies came together to help create a job-seeker pipeline that will fill immediate regional employment vacancies and provide key learnings for other regions.
Top employers in the food and beverage sector in Brampton include headquarters for Loblaws, Maple Lodge and Italpasta. Additionally, key employers such as Coke Canada Bottling, Olymel, TNT Foods, Cardinal Meat Specialists, Sofina Foods, Lactalis, Cargill, and Give and Go Prepared Foods have facilities in Brampton. All of these companies have strategically positioned themselves within Brampton to take advantage of the city’s talent, infrastructure and market access.
Quotes
“It’s an honour to be named the top-ranked Food Processing Sector in North America for the fourth year in a row. This recognition is a demonstration of how strong this local sector is. We are committed to continuing to attract investments and build a strong workforce while offering top-quality products.”
- Patrick Brown, Mayor, City of Brampton
"Being recognized for the fourth consecutive year in Business Facilities Magazine’s Annual Metro Rankings Report as #1 in the Food Processing Leaders in North America is proof that our City is the best place for businesses to invest and grow. I look forward to continuing to work together with Food and Beverage businesses in Brampton to continue to be an industry leader in this space.”
- Gurpartap Singh Toor, Regional Councillor, Wards 9 & 10; Chair, Economic Development, City of Brampton
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“Businesses are the backbone of our community, and the City of Brampton is dedicated to supporting our business community in achieving their goals in every way we can. We congratulate our thriving Food and Beverage sector for this incredible achievement – and thank our dedicated Economic Development team that supports them.”
- Marlon Kallideen, Chief Administrative Officer, City of Brampton
