Food In Canada

Richardson International acquires margarine manufacturer

Food in Canada   

Business Operations Dairy butter Richardson International

Winnipeg-based grain and agri-food company, Richardson International, has ventured into the margarine market again with its acquisition of Margarine Golden Gate – Michca


Winnipeg, Man. – One of the Prairie provinces’ grain and agri-food companies has gone into margarine – for the second time.

Richardson International Ltd. has acquired Margarine Golden Gate – Michca Inc., a family owned business that produces margarine products, shortening, laminating fats, and butter and margarine BreadButterFreeDigital350x233products for foodservice and industrial users. The company’s brands include Mirage Margarine and Crystal Margarine.

The company is owned and operated by the Lafortune family, says AlbertaFarmExpress.ca. The company was formed in 1984 from the merger of Oakville, Ont.’s Golden Gate Margarine and Gatineau, Que.-based Alimentation Michca.

Richardson International’s president and CEO, Curt Vossen, says the acquisition allows the company further access to markets in Eastern Canada.

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In 2011, Richardson International first established a presence in Eastern Canada when it acquired Innovative Foods, a margarine and shortening manufacturing business with plants in Mississauga, Ont. and Sussex, N.B.

Golden Gate’s 60,000-sq.-ft. manufacturing plant in Oakville will be Richardson International’s second plant in Ontario.

“Combined, these facilities will strengthen our capability as a national supplier and increase our capacity to serve all segments of the market, including retail, foodservice and industrial,” says Pat Van Osch, Richardson International’s senior vice-president, Quality Assurance and Manufacturing.

“This is the next step in the evolution of our packaged food products business.”

Richardson first entered the food manufacturing business in 1999 when it acquired Canbra Foods in Lethbridge, Alta.

Today, Richardson is one of Canada’s largest, fully-integrated canola processing, refining and packaging operations. From canola processing to food product development, Richardson takes canola from the field and transforms it for use in a wide array of food products.

Richardson International is a worldwide handler and merchandiser of all major Canadian-grown grains and oilseeds and a vertically-integrated processor and manufacturer of oats and canola-based products.

Bread and butter image courtesy of tiverylucky at FreeDigitalPhotos.net


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