Shape Foods’ flax and sunflower oil processing plant being built on the east side of Brandon will be running by early September, said Ben Comis, vice-president of business development.
Already, a battery of grain storage bins stand next to a two-storey, 6,300 sq. metre building that will house the main production facility and office.
“It’s coming along on schedule and we should be moving in there by the end of August or the first week of September,” said Comis. “Our products should start hitting store shelves by Oct. 18.”
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Finishing touches will include the construction of an atrium entrance, a parking lot and landscaping.
A year’s worth of raw material has been stockpiled from last year’s crop. If the company decides to expand, buying more flax and sunflowers shouldn’t be a problem, he said.
“If you take a look around within a 100 mile radius of the plant, you would have enough for three facilities operating at maximum output. So it was a strategic spot moving here to Brandon.”
Once the plant is fully operational, it will employ 63 workers working three shifts a day. The company has started hiring sales, marketing and administration staff, while floor production staff will be recruited this week.
The labour shortage has not affected the construction schedule, but one general contractor was forced to back out because skilled trades were not available, he said.
Production will begin with one shift, slowly ramping up to three.
Retailers such as Safeway and supermarkets in New York have signed on to receive the company’s products, which will include a range of flax and sunflower oils, as well as combinations using olive oil.
The flax and sunflower products will be sold as salad dressing, while the olive-flax combination can be used as a cooking oil.
“We’ve been doing a lot of U.S. sales with our broker and we’re just starting to move into the Canadian market,” said Comis.
Bottling of the non-organic oils, rich in omega 3 fatty acids, is done using a patented process and specially designed packaging that is impervious to heat, light and air. Flax oil is difficult to keep from spoiling, he added.
“With our proprietary process, we’re actually cleaner than organic. We have a very nutritious product that has been in a niche market and at a niche price,” he said. “We are going for the masses.”
