A southwestern Ontario turkey producer and processor has picked up public funding to boost its production capacity and expand its retail and product development space.
Hayter’s Turkey Products, based at Dashwood, about 60 km northwest of London, will get about $350,000 for its projects from the province’s Rural Economic Development Program.
The company plans to renovate its federally-inspected processing plant to improve production capacity, and to expand its retail store and set up a test kitchen to develop new turkey products.
The company sells fresh and frozen turkey parts and whole turkeys as well as smoked turkey and sausage and turkey bacon, both through its own outlet and through supermarkets and independent retailers and delis in the region.
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Taken together, the improvements are expected to help the company triple sales, create up to six jobs and retain more than 60 positions, the province said in a release Friday.
Hayter’s has been in the turkey production business for over 60 years and bills its meat operation as ensuring quality control by managing the entire process from day-old poults through to consumer sales.
“Modernizing and expanding our production capacity will make Hayter’s Turkey Products more competitive” by boosting demand for its products, company manager Sean Maguire said in the province’s release.
“This investment will help improve the lives of people in the Dashwood area for years to come.”
