The project is expected to commence construction in 2012 and was announced at an event held in Regina, Saskatchewan attended by the Right Honorable Prime Minister Stephen Harper, the Honorable Gerry Ritz, minister of agriculture, the Honorable Brad Wall, premier of Saskatchewan and His Worship, Mayor Pat Fiacco of the City of Regina.
The complex is planned as a milling site for wheat and pulses, processing durum wheat into semolina for the production of the Arbella pasta brand in Canada, as well as pulse processing capacity for production of ingredient pulse flours, proteins, starches and fibers. The distribution centre is expected to capitalize on the availability of ocean containers, trucks and intermodal units at the GTH site for domestic and export shipments.
"We are continuing our growth and expansion strategy of our global packaged food and ingredients platforms in pulses and milled durum wheat. We have always been focused on creating value through origin-based processing, locating our processing facilities where high-quality crops are grown. We seek to create value for our farmer suppliers and our shareholders by shipping finished food products and not just the raw basic commodities to markets around the world. Canada is a dominant world supplier of durum wheat and pulses. With our strong Canadian base built over the past decade, Western Canada was a logical choice for our new processing complex. The GTH will provide a competitive freight advantage for us that makes this a sensible investment," said Murad Al-Katib, president and chief executive officer of Alliance Grain Traders Inc. "We have spoken many times about our intentions to expand into these areas. We have a strong balance sheet and will continue to deploy capital to enhance the opportunities as we identify them.”
