Sunnymel, the partnership formed by Olymel l.p. and Westco, has announced that it has acquired two buildings and an additional 100 acres of land near the private land purchased last October in the vicinity of the village of Clair in the Madawaska region of New Brunswick.

This new transaction, the value of which was not disclosed, is part of a several million dollar investment programme begun over a year ago to complete a project to build a poultry slaughtering, cutting and deboning plant that would supply the entire Maritimes region from New Brunswick. This transaction is a new step toward completion of the project, which will inject more than C$30 million into the regional economy, in addition to being a major source of jobs.

The acquisition of this additional land will provide needed space for truck traffic and facilitate access to the plant. The two buildings will be modified and be used as annexes. A garage will be built to do maintenance on the trucks that bring the birds to the plant. The second building will be able to house live birds arriving at the plant.

Westco President and CEO, Thomas Soucy, said: "We are very pleased to confirm these new investments, which will create jobs for workers in northern New Brunswick, as well as consolidate the entire industry in the Maritimes. We believe that 2010 will mark the end of obstacles to the project, which will benefit the entire region."

Sunnymel is designed to integrate all supply operations, from farm to table, in order to strengthen the poultry industry in the Maritimes so as to better serve its markets. The Sunnymel business model pools the expertise of Westco, the largest poultry producer, and Olymel, a processor and distributor with a strong presence in the Canadian market.