Lee Li Holdings Inc. is investing $533 million in existing and new bottling and packaging plants in Mississauga, Ont.

First Choice Beverage, a Lee Li subsidiary that operates the site, will lead the construction effort.

The project includes a renovation and 15,000-square-foot expansion of the current plant and the development of an new 85,000-square-foot facility that will act as the company’s North American production hub. The new capacity will be geared toward manufacturing plastic bottles for high-demand beverage categories, including tea, coffee, sparkling water and flavoured water. The initiative is expected to generate 275 jobs and is supported by $90 million in provincial funding through the Invest Ontario Fund.

As consumers choose health-forward beverages and wellness concerns increase globally, our over half-billion-dollar investment in advanced manufacturing will ensure this great province is a global manufacturing and technology leader in the over US$200 billion non-carbonated beverage market, which includes juices, iced teas, sports drinks, water and much more,” said John Spiteri, who serves as an executive vice-president and chief administrative officer for First Choice.

“This new, cutting-edge, high-tech, environmentally sensitive production facility, with a multi-million-dollar investment in advanced manufacturing technology, will catapult Ontario into a leader in the rising global consumer market for low-sugar soft drinks. We are further accelerating consumer choice and global market growth with our ready-to-drink beverages, which can replace solid food.”

The investment also supports the launch of a white-label offering aimed at brands seeking locally sourced ingredients. Alongside the new bottling operations, the upgraded facility will maintain its co-packing of juices and plant-based dairy alternatives in gable-top cartons, supported by new-generation equipment.

Vic Fedeli, Ontario’s minister of economic development, job creation and trade, said Lee Li’s expansion will ensure that more Ontario-made products are bottled and packed in the province amid unprecedented global economic uncertainty. The project will also create good-paying jobs for local families and significant downstream benefits for companies across the agri-food sector.

By sourcing such raw materials as fresh-pressed apple and grape juice from within Ontario, the project would help local farms and agri-processors grow, while generating downstream benefits for distributors and logistics providers in the province, said Invest Ontario.

“Ontario is one of the largest food and beverage manufacturing jurisdictions in North America and this investment demonstrates the confidence global companies have in our agri-food sector,” said provincial Agriculture Minister Trevor Jones. “This investment is driving innovation, creating jobs and ensuring Ontario remains a top destination for food and beverage manufacturing.”

Established in Ontario in 1984 as a meat distribution and wholesale business, Lee Li has since evolved into a diversified enterprise with interests spanning food and beverage manufacturing, cold storage, logistics, health care, real estate and mining.

Pictured: Lee Li bottling plant in Mississauga, Ont.

Photo: Invest Ontario