Frulact expansion means more jobs for Kingstonians

Frulact, a fruit processing plant located in Cataraqui Estates Business Park in Kingston’s west end, is expanding and looking to hire more Kingstonians to support their growing industry.

Despite the challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the global company has continued to increase their production in response to new acquisitions.

“This expansion plan is part of our strategic vision for Frulact in North America. Our growth, based on our customers’ trust, required that we had to expand and invest in other assets. Last year, Frulact reinforced its relevance in the North American market by acquiring the fruit preparations for dairy applications of Sensient Technologies Corporation,” said Paulo Leal, Chief Marketing Officer for Frulact. “We are moving towards the ambition of becoming a global leader in natural ingredients solutions.”

In 2017, Frulact launched the fruit processing and preparation production facility in Kingston. They have also recently expanded operations in Europe, the Nordics and North Africa by acquiring International Flavors & Fragrances Group‘s fruit preparation business which produces fruit, vegetable, herb and meat solutions for the food, beverage and pet food markets to SMEs and regional leaders, particularly in Western Europe, the Nordics, and North Africa.

“With this expansion, Frulact will be one of the three largest companies in the world in its business segment,” Leal continued. “This acquisition will allow us to reach new geographies and diversify our portfolio of ingredients, thus improving our current position with our clients, but also with our employees, that will benefit from the sharing of knowledge and expertise.”

The expansion at the Kingston plant allows Frulact to reach markets in the United States, which, Leal said, is important for further growth. They currently supply fruit and flavor preparations to the major dairy and ice cream brands in the Canadian market.

“The ability to anticipate consumer trends and support our customers in their growth strategy is definitively one of the key aspects that make our business challenging, especially in this context of uncertainty that this pandemic has caused,” he shared with Kingstonist. “But we believe that Frulact has all the means to present a differentiated offer to our clients.”

The local plant is hoping to hire 12 to 15 individuals to support their expansion plans. Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, the company continues to grow and provide jobs to support the local economy.

“The pandemic has been a challenging period for all the companies. Despite all the challenges, we ramped up our production, which would not be possible without our front-line team members,” Leal expressed.

“We understand it was uncharted territory for many with anxiety and stress, but our people are our most important asset,” he continued. “One of our priorities is to monitor our teams and convey the message that we are always at their side. We provided a bonus for the commitment during this period and have provided catered meals from local restaurants to all during each stay-at-home order.”

Kingstonians who may be interested in a position at Frulact are invited to submit their resumes to their reception at 1295 Centennial Drive, or apply to current positions on Indeed. Candidates can also email [email protected]. There is no deadline to apply. Frulact is actively recruiting for additional employees and will always accept and keep resumes on file for the future.