ST-HYACINTHE, QUEBEC – On Sept. 15, the 29 workers employed at the Olymel pork further processing plant in the Montérégie region were notified that the Henryville facility would be closed, effective Nov. 12. The company said the processing would be handled by its other facilities and that employees were offered jobs at nearby plants. 

Olymel took ownership of the 70,000-square-foot plant when it acquired F. Ménard in 2020. The plant has been operating since 2011 and it specialized in bacon production. Olymel said it is assessing the options for the future of the plant and the surrounding buildings.   

"Closing a facility is always a difficult decision. However, after careful evaluation of our capacities and needs in this production sector, we have concluded that the company already has the necessary facilities elsewhere to meet our customers' demand,” said Réjean Nadeau, president and chief executive officer of Olymel. “The costs associated with continuing the Henryville plant's current operations would not have allowed this facility to achieve profitability. "