It is in the presence of several guests and dignitaries that the senior management team of Brome Lake Ducks, market leader and oldest farm in Canada specializing in the breeding of Pekin duck, has officially announced the acquisition of the former Viande Laroche beef plant, located in the Eastern Township municipality of Asbestos. The $30 million investment also includes the construction of a new hatchery and new livestock buildings in the region of Brome Lake. The expansion project will allow the company to double its annual production and will create more than 150 new jobs over the next few years.

"Our new processing plant, will occupy 51,000 square feet and will not only permit to consolidate the leadership of Brome Lake Ducks on its markets, but also ensures its growth and competitiveness by producing the quantities needed to meet the local and international demand," said Mr. Claude Trottier, President and COO of Brome Lake Ducks.

Located on the western shore of Brome Lake, the Quebec-based company is one of the region's most dynamic economic drivers and amongst the largest employers, with over 200 employees . Its output has increased eightfold, from 500,000 birds in 1990 to an yearly production that surpasses two million ducks which are shipped to customers from Quebec, Canada, Asia, South America and the United States.

Thanks to this acquisition, the company plans to hire about a hundred new employees over the following months and another fifty or so within the next few years. The management team is also planning to double the production from 2 million to over 4 million ducks by 2020, while always emphasizing on quality. "The high-level equipment and cutting-edge technology that we find here will allow us to increase our production by more than 500,000 ducks per year while maintaining the high quality of our products that has become our trademark," added Mr. Mario Côté, Chairman of the Board of Brome Lake Ducks.

Constantly concerned about the health and welfare of its ducks, Brome Lake Ducks meets stringent standards with regards to biosecurity and safety. "All of our expansion project take into account the highest standards with regards to animal health and welfare, and I can assure you that our new processing plant in Asbestos will not be exception to this rule," concluded Côté.

This acquisition is the result of a close collaboration between Brome Lake Ducks, Fond de diversification économique de la MRC des Sources, Investissement Québec and Desjardins.

Source: Brome Lake Ducks