Frozen pizza manufacturer celebrates 10 years in London, Ont.
The London location has been a hub makes an average of 400,000 pizzas per day and employs 430 people in the province.
September 13, 2024 | By MRO Staff
Dr. Oetker executives Valery Henle, Dino Koundoutsikos, Christian Von Twickel and Josh Van Bladel were joined by Robert Flack, Ontario Minister of Farming, Agriculture, and Agribusiness and Teresa Armstrong, MPP for London-Fanshawe, at a Sept. 12 event in London, Ont. to commemorate the tenth anniversary of Dr. Oetker's frozen pizza plant in London. (CNW Group/Dr.Oetkar) Dr. Oetker Canada Ltd., the maker frozen pizza brands, desserts and dry baking products, is marking the 10-year-anniversary of its pizza manufacturing facility, in London, Ont. The company says this location has been a hub for North American pizza operations for the last decade, making an average of 400,000 pizzas per day and employing 430 people in the province.
“We’re proud to call London our Canadian home, a place where our culture of innovation, quality products and fresh thinking can thrive,” said Dino Koundoutsikos, Executive Vice President, North America. “We have been lucky to benefit from the talented workforce that London region provides, and it has been a pleasure to see many of Londoners begin their agri-food careers working on the plant floor.”
At an anniversary event held on Sept. 12, diplomats were offered a tour of the plant. All guests were able to hear from and engage with Dr. Oetker executives, who discussed achievements from the last decade, ongoing activities within Canada, and a commitment to excellence in the future.
“It is an honour to mark the 10th anniversary of this plant and recall the optimism we felt upon cutting the ribbon in 2014, optimism that remains today thanks to the tremendous talents of our London team,” said Dr. Christian von Twickel, Member of the Executive Board, Dr. Oetker. “Our investment here is a true Canadian success story, and a testament to the robust agri-food community of London, which has become one of the top centres of food production in North America. We believe in local production and manufacturing and look forward to our continued bright future in this great city!”
The origins of the plant began in 2011, when the business made a pivotal decision to shift from importing products internationally to Canada and the U.S. and instead establish a North American pizza production hub in London, Ont. Since opening in 2014, Dr. Oetker Canada has doubled in size and become the market leader in the thin crust pizza category in Canada and number two in the overall pizza meal market in Canada.
Special guests at the Thursday event included Dr. von Twickel, who visited from Dr. Oetker’s headquarters in Germany, and Koundoutsikos, as well as Valery Henle, Executive Vice President – North America, and Tobias Bauer, Senior Executive Manager, Pizza Production Unit.
Dr. Oetker Canada has operated since 1960 and ranks as one of the top five subsidiaries for the food organization, which operates in more than 39 countries.
Dr. Oetker’s Canadian operation includes manufacturing and R&D facilities located in London and Mississauga that produce over 190 products.