Leadbetter Foods has reportedly shut down its beef processing operation in Orillia, Ontario, leaving at least 20 people out of work, while the company’s separate pork operation in the city remains open.
The beef operation reportedly closed on a Friday, though Leadbetter Foods has not confirmed the closure, the number of employees affected, the reason behind the decision, or what it means for the company’s future in Orillia. The company did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
The City of Orillia said it is aware of reported changes to the company’s local operations but did not detail the extent of those changes. Michael Ladouceur, the city’s director of business development, tourism and modernization, said in a statement that Leadbetter Foods is a longstanding member of Orillia’s business community and that the city recognizes the importance of its operations and workforce to the local economy. He said operational decisions rest with individual businesses, but that the city remains committed to supporting local employers and connecting them with available resources, and will continue working with community and economic development partners on business retention and workforce stability.
A Long-Standing Local Employer
Leadbetter Foods has a lengthy history in the Orillia area and describes itself as one of the city’s largest employers. The company produces beef and pork products and operates two meat-processing plants in Orillia. Public information for the company continues to list facilities at 255 Hughes Rd. and 4 Brammer Dr.
Leadbetter has been part of Premium Brands Holdings Corporation since 2017.
Losses Tied to an Ontario Beef Facility
The reported shutdown follows an announcement from Premium Brands in its second-quarter financial results in August, in which the company said it had shut down an older “value-added beef processing facility” in Ontario. Premium Brands did not identify the facility by name in its financial release, and it remains unclear whether that facility is the same as Leadbetter’s Orillia beef operation.
Premium Brands reported a $53.1-million loss connected to the shutdown and its exit from certain sales it described as unprofitable. Of that total, $50.6 million was tied to non-cash asset write-downs, while the remaining $2.5 million covered other costs, including severance.
During the company’s second-quarter earnings call, officials said the beef facility in question was older and that deflation in the beef segment had weighed on margins in recent years. Premium Brands CEO George Paleologou said the plant had reached the end of its economic life.
Premium Brands' Beef Facility Shutdown Costs
Consolidation Plans Underway
Premium Brands is in the process of consolidating some of its smaller operations into a new, larger facility in the Greater Toronto Area, which officials have said is expected to begin operating in the first quarter of 2027. Company officials told analysts the consolidation was a planned move intended to improve efficiency, throughput and scale.
Premium Brands officials also said during the August earnings call that they were not expecting any additional facility closures in 2026.
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