PepsiCo Canada’s Frito Lay division plans to put up over $2 million to upgrade equipment and improve “environmental sustainability” at its Nova Scotia potato chip plant.
The province, through its Nova Scotia Business Inc. (NSBI) business development agency, has pledged to back the upgrades at Frito Lay’s Kentville-area plant with a five-year payroll rebate of up to $500,000.
The plant at New Minas was recently recognized as the first Canadian facility to send less than one per cent of its waste to landfills, the province said in a release Monday.
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The investment and upgrades are expected to “further support the plant’s environmental journey,” reducing energy and water consumption during manufacturing processes, while boosting efficiency and maintaining product quality standards, the province said.
“We will use (the province’s investment) to upgrade our equipment to ensure we’re delivering the highest-quality products that are manufactured in an environmentally sustainable facility,” Anne-Marie Renaud, vice-president of operations for Frito Lay Canada, said in the province’s release.
The New Minas plant makes various Frito Lay products for retail and foodservice customers in Eastern Canada, including Lay’s and Ruffles potato chips.
About 30 per cent of the plant’s supply of potatoes comes from local producers, while the remaining 70 per cent is shipped from Prince Edward Island, the province said.
Frito Lay Canada is the largest snack food company in the country and, alongside Quaker Foods and Snacks, is part of PepsiCo Canada’s foods division.
Frito Lay runs six plants in Canada including the Kentville facility, sites at Cambridge, Ont. and Lauzon, Que. and three plants in Alberta at Taber, Bow Island and Lethbridge.
