MISSISSAUGA, ONTARIO – Maple Leaf Foods announced the completion of the purchase of a 118,000-square-foot facility in Indianapolis, that is part of its plant-based foods processing subsidiary, Greenleaf Foods SPC.

The company projects initial production will begin during the first half of 2022. When the facility is fully operational it will employ approximately 115 people.

In January, Maple Leaf detailed plans to install tempeh production equipment with an initial capacity of roughly 4.5 million kg. After fully operational in 2022, the company expects to double capacity if consumer demand for the products increases.

“Maple Leaf Foods has been purposeful in executing a multi-tiered strategy focused on capital efficiency,” Michael McCain, president and chief executive officer, said in January. “To date, we have found ways to leverage the capacity of our existing plant protein manufacturing assets, while successfully utilizing footprint in the rest of our network.”

Maple Leaf announced a similar plan to build a facility in Shelbyville, Ind., in 2019, but several challenges, including the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, delayed the project.