As Labatt's London plant invests in big shift from plastic, production grows
A $52.6-million investment in London’s Labatt Brewery is paying off.
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A $52.6-million investment in London’s Labatt brewery is paying off.
The global beer maker, born in the Forest City, has added production and jobs while slashing the amount of plastic it produces after that investment, said the plant’s senior general manager, Alex Martel.
About a year ago Labatt invested in new technology and packaging systems at the Simcoe Street plant to reduce its environmental footprint while boosting production. That investment has seen the plant boost capacity by 20 per cent from 2021 and add one new production line for cans.
“We’ve increased our can line capacity. We had one line, now we have two. We see demand increasing as we invest in our hometown brewery,” Martel said.
The London brewer now makes the equivalent of more than 45 million cases of 24 cans of beer a year.
It has also added about 45 new staff over the last three years as a result of attrition and production growth and now employs more than 400.
“We’re always looking for new people. We’ve been increasing our workforce to accommodate for attrition as well as volume growth,” Martel said.
The investment did away with plastic packaging used for six packs, including the top rings and plastic wraps. The plastic gave way to a fully recyclable cardboard package called KeelClip.
That will reduce single-use plastic by 242,000 kilograms by 2024, the weight of 117 mid-sized cars, Martel said.
“It’s an environmental initiative we’re really proud of. We want to be good community partners. It also allows us to up-skill new technology, to expand our production and learn about new technology. It’s exciting.”
Growth at the London plant comes as the brewery celebrates its 175th anniversary on Friday.
Established in 1847 by John Kinder Labatt, it now has six breweries across Canada and four craft breweries, 70 brands and more than 3,600 workers. “We’re proud of our legacy,” Martel said.
Labatt marked the occasion with an open house for the family members of staff. It also held an art exhibit at Toronto Harbourfront Centre, A Brewing Affair, earlier this month.
The London plant brews more than 65 brands of beer and ready-to-drink vodka-based products, as well as non-alcoholic beer.
“It’s exciting to keep up with consumer trends. We want to stay ahead of the curve,” said Martel.
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