La Rocca Creative Cakes Inc. receives funding to achieve growth plan

La Rocca Creative Cakes Inc.has received a FedDev Ontario contribution of nearly $3 million to help the company execute a strategic growth plan to meet growing market demand.

Through this project, La Rocca Creative Cakes Inc. expects to add 64 new full-time jobs, including 60 manufacturing jobs and four management jobs in the Richmond Hill, Ont. area, while also positioning the company to diversify its export markets and to better compete outside of Canada.

Established in 1986, La Rocca Creative Cakes Inc. is a family-owned and operated food manufacturer of specialty cakes and desserts, which are supplied to fine food retailers across Canada, the United States, and markets as far as the Middle East.

This project will allow La Rocca Creative Cakes Inc. to expand and renovate its existing facility, adopt Industry 4.0 technologies, and add advanced equipment to increase production capacity and further its manufacturing capabilities. Newly adopted automation and digital planning tools will help to improve efficiencies, reduce operating costs and minimize waste. In addition, the project will help shorten the development time needed to bring new products from design to market.

Currently, the company operates out of its comprehensive Richmond Hill bakery, employing more than 300 full-time staff, and producing more than 250 different products.

In 2017, the company opened La Rocca Creative Kitchen, a 2,400-square foot innovation centre to research and develop new products and processes, collaborate with industry leaders, attract new talent and engage with the community.

In addition to FedDev Ontario’s contribution, this project will leverage over $5.5 million in private sector investment towards the total project cost of $8.5 million.