Nearly a year after London learned it would be home to an Italian pasta manufacturer's first North American plant, the provincial government has announced funding for its construction.
Premier Doug Ford was in the city on Monday and said the provincial government will be giving Andriani Ltd. $1.5 million toward its $33.6 million new facility in London’s Innovation Park at Bradley Avenue and Veterans Memorial Parkway.
"Your $33 million investment is a huge vote of confidence in London, in our province, in the agri-food sector, and most importantly the people here in London," said Ford.
He added that the new 61,225 square-foot, state-of-the-art facility will spur growth throughout the province’s agri-food supply chains and help further establish London as a hub for food production, technology, and innovation.
"When you put more money into businesses' pockets, guess what happens? They reinvest it into their equipment, into their people, into technology," said Ford. "That is no different than people. You put money back into their pockets and they are going to go out to dinner, hopefully eat your pasta products, and build an addition, buy a refrigerator."
Andriani's new gluten-allergen and GMO-free pasta plant will employee 42 people to start and will procure raw materials from Southwestern Ontario for its products. London was announced as the site for the company's first North American facility last February.
Once up and running, the facility will allow the company to make its products for the North American market domestically, instead of shipping them in from Italy.
“We share with Ontario a vision of a future driven by innovation and shared value," said Andriani Group President and CEO Michele Andriani. "In London we found the premises to ground the next steps of our international development, which aims at increasing the potential of having a positive impact on people lives through food innovation: highly qualified and professional people, focus and investments on food innovation, sustainability and regenerative agricultural practices and overall a competitive agricultural and food business ecosystem.”
Andriani is considered a leader in the European market for allergen and gluten free pasta, producing more than 40,000 tonnes per year for more than 30 countries. It has a history of working closely with regional farms to develop non-GMO supplies of brown rice, corn, quinoa, buckwheat, amaranth, lentils, and peas. The pasta is sold under the Felicia and Biori brands.
The new London facility is slated to open sometime this year.