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A Canadian grain-trader adding onto its operations is among the construction projects underway within the food sector on the Port of Hamilton.

Canadian agri-business Parrish & Heimbecker (P&H), whose flour and feed mills span from coast to coast, is building a new flour mill on Pier 10, which will be its third at the location.

The existing P&H facility, who has been a port partner since September 2008, is 511,659-square-feet and after the work by St. Jacobs-based CAMAR Mill Systems is complete, it will be 705,800-square-feet.

“Our ongoing commitment to the Canadian agricultural landscape is exemplified through this expansion in Hamilton,” said John Heimbecker, P&H CEO. “We are not just expanding our infrastructure; we are investing in the future of Canadian agriculture and the baking industry. This strategic move reaffirms our dedication to meeting the needs of both our valued agricultural partners and our business partners.”

Two new storage silos will also be added, dedicated to handling essential ingredients such as soymeal and distillers dried grains as well as wheat for milling.

When the first flour mill was built at Pier 10 in 2017, it was the first new-build flour mill in Ontario in 75 years.

Since then, P&H doubled its capacity in 2020 with the addition of a second mill and increased storage, significantly contributing to the company’s ability to receive and process wheat efficiently. The new addition will solidify P&H’s position as the single-largest user of Ontario wheat.

P&H would not disclose the cost of the project and expects its expanded facility to be operational sometime in 2025.

In conjunction with the P&H expansion is the current $135-plus million SucroCan facility project, which will be the largest of its kind in Canada and will have the capacity to produce more than a million metric tonnes of refined sugar annually.

This will supply Ontario’s food and beverage manufacturing sector — the third largest in North America — that generates revenues of more than $48 billion and employs over 104,800 people.

When asked about the project’s progress and cost to date, Don Hill, chairman, of Sucro Limited said, “We still expect the total refinery cost to eventually reach US$100 million, with phase one coming in at US$50 million. This initial amount should fund our progress through the refinery opening and operating through 2026. Additional commissioning and expansion will require extra funds, eventually bringing the total up to US$100 million (approximately $138 million Canadian).”

In other port developments, Toronto Tank Lines, which specializes in transporting food-grade products, expanded its operations last winter with a brand-new rail transload yard at Hamilton’s Pier 25. It will keep products from P&H, Sucro and other tenants moving in and out of the Port of Hamilton.

The seven-acre site can accommodate up to 70 railcar spots with most being 100 per cent truck accessible.

There are now 14 agri-food companies located at the port and agri-food has grown to represent 31 per cent of the port’s overall cargo mix.

Hamilton is home to a growing food processing sector, with more than 120 food ingredients companies located in the city. This equates to a $1 billion Hamilton food sector business, making it the second largest producer, with steel being the leader.

“Hamilton is literally the epicentre of the Canadian food industry, which makes it ideal to service our growing customer base. Also, being in a major port with direct access to ocean going bulk vessels is critical, and our long term supporters at HOPA have been ideal port partners to work with. And lastly, Hamilton is ideally logistically positioned to export product to the United States market whenever export opportunities surface,” said Hill.

For Sucro’s timeline, Hill said, “There is no short term ‘finish date’ as there will be continued investment and commissioning for many years. However, the initial phase one construction should be finished by the fall of 2025, and we are hopeful of opening the refinery at that time, which could be a full six months earlier than initially anticipated.”