Facilities in Bergen, Oakfield and Brockport form the backbone of an international vegetable production giant’s entrance in the American market. Bonduelle Americas CEO Daniel Vielfaure led local officials through an introduction of the company and the improvements it has already made at its Bergen frozen food processing plant Friday, touching on the company’s plans to grow state side and provide a steady source of national consumers for local growers.
The French vegetable supplier, will produces more than $2.5 billion in annual revenues, expects to greatly enhance its share of US markets by increasing and then hitting capacity at production facilities in Bergen and Oakfield. The two Genesee County plants were purchased last year by Bonduelle, along with a Brockport packaging plant and a Wisconsin production plant from Allen’s Inc., and have the capacity to produce 107 million pounds of peas, corn, green beans and carrots.
It’s running at about 85 percent capacity this year, up from 65 to 70 percent in its first year under Bonduelle’s operation. Vielfaure believes production will expand even more as Bonduelle, which has a lion’s share of the Canadian market, enhances its American consumer base. “We think it’s the right way to grow our business,” Vielfaure said. “We are vegetables — if there’s a need, we will be there.”
The Oakfield plant is the company’s bean production hub, with the capacity to process 58 million pounds of green beans, squash, spinach and lima beans, a new production line that showed promising growth in upstate New York. The Bergen plant is the company’s versatile player, capable of handling a diverse array of vegetables. “As we grow, we will increase volume and introduce new crops,” said Rob Anderson, the vice president of Bonduelle’s American and London, Ont. operations. “Whatever we can do, we can do it here. We’re well-suited to grow.” The two Bergen and Oakfield plants will produce more than half of the 257 million pounds of frozen, ready-to-eat, vegetables Bonduelle’s American operations are projected to produce in 2014. Bonduelle has invested $1.7 million into the three New York facilities in its first year, Vielfaure said, with millions more to come after the production season ends in November.
The French vegetable supplier, will produces more than $2.5 billion in annual revenues, expects to greatly enhance its share of US markets by increasing and then hitting capacity at production facilities in Bergen and Oakfield. The two Genesee County plants were purchased last year by Bonduelle, along with a Brockport packaging plant and a Wisconsin production plant from Allen’s Inc., and have the capacity to produce 107 million pounds of peas, corn, green beans and carrots.
It’s running at about 85 percent capacity this year, up from 65 to 70 percent in its first year under Bonduelle’s operation. Vielfaure believes production will expand even more as Bonduelle, which has a lion’s share of the Canadian market, enhances its American consumer base. “We think it’s the right way to grow our business,” Vielfaure said. “We are vegetables — if there’s a need, we will be there.”
