The pot was not as sweet for Schneider Corp. as it was for Maple Leaf Foods Inc.
Schneider Corp. got concessions from the provincial government and City of Winnipeg for its new pork processing plant, but the concessions weren’t as generous as the ones offered to Maple Leaf in Brandon.
In the Schneider deal, Winnipeg offered investment credits for services, valued at $2.2 million.
Winnipeg mayor Glen Murray said he wants the city to become the centre for agricultural processing in Canada.
The expansion is expected to create 1,000 to 1,200 jobs, as well as 5,500 spin-off jobs.
The provincial government gave Schneider more than $7 million, compared to $11 million received by Maple Leaf.
The money will be spent on training new staff ($3 million), building an advanced sewage pre-treatment plant and on other infrastructure improvements.
If Schneider doesn’t meet its job targets, it will have to reimburse the province.
Douglas Dodds, chief executive officer of Schneider, said the concessions helped the company decide to stay in Winnipeg.
“Our first choice was always Winnipeg,” he said.
– RAMPTON
