Dot Foods Canada Inc., a subsidiary of Dot Foods, Inc., celebrated the official grand opening of its new distribution center in Ingersoll, Ontario, Friday. The $50 million (CAD), 168,875 square-foot facility includes offices and dry, refrigerated, and frozen warehouse space. Dot and its trucking affiliate, Dot Transportation Canada, Inc., currently employ 70 people at the Ingersoll facility, most in warehouse and truck driver roles. Company leaders say that number will grow to 200 in the next three to five years.
“This is an exciting day for our Ingersoll team and in the history of our company,” said Dot Foods CEO Dick Tracy. “There is a lot of opportunity for our distribution model in Canada.”
Construction on the majority of the building wrapped up this spring. Dot moved the first loads of dry product into the warehouse in May and began stocking refrigerated and frozen products in June. Because of the large growth potential Dot sees in Canada, the company decided to further increase the size of its frozen storage warehouse; shortly after breaking ground on construction in 2022 they started work on the first "expansion" while the rest of the building was actively under construction. The freezer expansion is nearly complete, and it is currently being brought down to temperature.
As part of the grand opening celebration, Tracy announced a $50,000 charitable donation to be shared by six area nonprofit organizations:
- $10,000 to the Alzheimer’s Society in London, Ontario
- $10,000 to United Way of Oxford County
- $7,500 to the Fusion Center, Ingersoll
- $7,500 to the Salvation Army in London
- $7,500 to the Salvation Army in Ingersoll
- $7,500 to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Oxford County
All of Dot Foods’ U.S. locations have a charitable committee that approves grants and coordinates volunteer opportunities for employees within the company’s five charitable areas of intent.
The recipient groups were selected for their close alignment with the company’s charitable areas of focus. Each year Dot employees take part in two corporate fundraising campaigns—one for Alzheimer’s disease research and prevention and another for the United Way—and Dot is able to continue those partnerships in Canada.
