Beverage maker Lactalis reopens Sudbury facility with a plant-based twist

Lactalis Canada officially reopened its facility on Thursday, unveiling a new product line.

Officials unveiled six plant-based beverages called Enjoy! The beverages include oat, almond and hazelnut options with eight grams of protein per serving.

The former milk operation is now plant-based, with renovations completed at its 33,000-square-foot facility.

"It's very exciting, right?" said Sudbury MPP Jamie West.

"This is revitalizing the plant and ensures that we're going to keep jobs in Sudbury. It also gives the opportunity for us to shop locally and support local products."

West said plant-based options are growing in popularity.

"My son, for example, is vegan. And so, you know, his choice is plant-based products when it comes to having cereal or things like that," he said.

"So it's kind of win-win, right? It helps with the market that's growing and keeps jobs here and allows us all to shop local."

The event was marked with speeches, samplings the beverages and a tree-planting.

Through its Community Enrichment Fund, Lactalis donated $10,000 to the Sudbury Food Bank. Dan Xilon, executive director of the food bank, said Lactalis has been a long-time supporter of the food bank, and the money will go a long way.

"It makes a dramatic difference," Xilon said.

"So you're probably looking at between $55,000 and $60,000 worth of food by the time we're all said and done with that funds because all donations go to food. So it's fantastic."

Lactalis, formerly Parmalat, has existed in Sudbury since 1962. In 2022, it was announced milk operations would cease due to low profits and switch to a dedicated plant-based facility.

Mark Taylor, Lactalis Canada president and CEO, said the switch was based on consumer needs.

Leap of faith

"We're the first country to have a fully dedicated, plant-based operation," Taylor said.

"We hope that that will be a success. Obviously, it's a bit of a leap of faith, but we believe consumers are telling us that they're excited by these products."

He said the size of the facility and the potential boost for the local economy were factors.

"We've talked about the importance of local pride and that's why we made the decision, because we felt that we would get the support from the local community here and it really is important," he said.

"This plant will supply the whole of Canada with these products, but we need it to be strong here first, and we believe it can be a success in the Sudbury community."

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Enjoy! Products will be produced in Sudbury and distributed across the country. Twenty-five staff work at the facility, but Taylor expects there could be additional job potential if there is continued success.

"The bigger the success, the more opportunities for additional employment," he said.

"So we hope is going to be successful and we hope that we will be looking for new people to join the team as a result of that."