Johnsonville Partners with Canadian Meat Processor to Expand Pork Plant in Manitoba

July 26, 2023

Project will allow more western Canadian hogs to be processed locally, add pork supply to Johnsonville and give Winkler Meats an opportunity to grow its distribution.

Andy Hanacek

U.S. sausage processing giant Johnsonville Group is partnering with Winkler Meats in Winkler, Manitoba, Canada, on a CA$52.8 million (approximately $40 million in U.S. dollars) expansion to the Winkler Meats processing facility, according to local news reports. The project has also earned government support to the tune of CA$2.38 million for new equipment and CA$7.8 million in loan financing and tax rebates.

The project will more than double the facility’s 30,000-square-foot footprint, and the company anticipates it will increase production sevenfold. Company officials cited in the news report could not confirm whether products would be carrying Winkler Meats or Johnsonville branding at this point, but some of the processed pork would be sent to Johnsonville facilities for additional processing.

The expansion is expected to create 108 jobs for the local community. Construction is slated to begin in August, with an anticipated end date in mid-2025.

Winkler Meats produces farmer sausage, bacon and other meat products, distributed in retail supermarkets in western Canada and parts of Ontario. The company, which was founded 59 years ago, believes this latest expansion could allow for more Winkler Meats products to reach further into eastern Canada, the report says.

About the Author

Andy Hanacek | Senior Editor

Andy Hanacek has covered meat, poultry, bakery and snack foods as a B2B editor for nearly 20 years, and has toured hundreds of processing plants and food companies, sharing stories of innovation and technological advancement throughout the food supply chain. In 2018, he won a Folio:Eddie Award for his unique "From the Editor's Desk" video blogs, and he has brought home additional awards from Folio and ASBPE over the years. In addition, Hanacek led the Meat Industry Hall of Fame for several years and was vice president of communications for We R Food Safety, a food safety software and consulting company.