Parkhill Meats to add processing facility

Parkhill Meats is expanding its business with the construction of a new processing facility in Middlesex County.

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The company held a groundbreaking ceremony at the site of the new facility last week, the BFO said in a release. The ceremony was attended by Ontario’s Agriculture Minister, Lisa Thompson; Steve Pinsonneault, MPP for Lambton-Kent-Middlesex; Liane Rood, MP for Lambton-Kent-Middlesex; representatives from BFO; and many partners, stakeholders, and community members.

Established in 2016, Parkhill Meats has grown from three to close to 20 employees and produces local and halal certified beef, veal, lamb and goat products for customers across Ontario. The growing demand for halal certified meats led Parkhill Meats to begin planning for further expansion, the release said.

“The expansion project has been a long time coming, but we are happy to say that the effort and time has paid off. Our growth over the years made it clear that to continue to grow profitably, we needed to implement efficient processes, effective specs and setup, and advanced technology,” Yaser Al-Qayem of Parkhill Meats said in the release.

“The planning phase took us more than two years of debating what we should and could do, and what we are starting to build today is the first step towards implementing our strategic vision. We’re grateful to so many stakeholders who supported us and continue to support us along the way.”

Parkhill Meats received $2.4 million in support from the provincial government through the Strategic Agri-Food Processing Fund.

“Meat processing is an integral component of the beef supply chain. It’s nice to see investment from the provincial government in the expansion of this facility,” Craig McLaughlin, BFO president, said in the release. “Beef farmers experienced first-hand the importance of processing capacity throughout the pandemic. Since then, and with increasing demand for Ontario beef, we continue to advocate for increased investment in the meat processing sector.”

The expansion of Parkhill Meats is slated to be completed in 2025, and it’s forecasted the new facility will require an additional 20 employees including butchers, packagers, logistics handlers and cleaners.

“The establishment of a new processing facility in Ontario is good news for our sector, and signals growth and opportunity for Ontario beef. We look forward to following the construction and opening of the new Parkhill Meats facility next year,” said John Baker, director of the Ontario Beef Market Development Program. 

The BFO said it continues to advocate for increased investment in meat processing infrastructure and a more supportive regulatory environment for the red meat sector in Ontario. “We also know we need to find better ways to attract, train and retain high-skill meat cutters and industrial butchers who play such an integral role in getting Ontario beef from the farm to the plate,” said the BFO.