People who seek out gluten-free products have had more reason to lick their lips over the last ten years, thanks to Duinkerken Foods Inc. Brenda and Wayne vanDuinkerken created the popular flour and baking mix brand, and are now looking to diversify the product line and increase exports.
Bobby Morrissey, Member of Parliament for Egmont, on behalf of the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), and the Honourable Heath MacDonald, PEI Minister of Economic Development and Tourism today announced support for Duinkerken Foods to help expand export markets for the company and increase production capacity at its new facility in Slemon Park.
The Government of Canada, though ACOA’s Business Development Program, is providing a repayable contribution of $130,000 to help the company establish automated production lines and modernized packaging. The Government of Prince Edward Island, through Innovation PEI, is also contributing $10,000 to this project through the Capital Assistance Acquisition Program which will support the cost of the new equipment and help increase production activity.
The Government of Canada remains committed to working with the Province of Prince Edward Island and business leaders to create jobs, strengthen the middle class, and grow the Atlantic Canadian economy. This project is part of the Atlantic Growth Strategy commitment to drive economic growth in the region.
Quotes
“An innovative and entrepreneurial spirit is key to growing the economy across the Atlantic Region, and the vanDuinkerken family has been a model of this. The Government of Canada is pleased to help them in their next steps, as they build on their reputation, and expand to reach a wider market.”
- Bobby Morrissey, Member of Parliament for Egmont, on behalf of the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and Minister Responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA)
“The demand for Island products and services and the ability of our companies to compete on the global stage has never been higher. Once again, Prince Edward Island is on track to lead Canada in the growth of international exports. Its family owned businesses like Duinkerken Foods Inc who make this possible. Small and medium business are the backbone of the provincial economy and our Government remains committed to increasing productivity, creating jobs, and encouraging export growth.”
- The Honourable Heath MacDonald, Minister of Economic Development and Tourism
“To keep up with the growing market demand for Duinkerken Gluten Free products, we are very excited to expand our current production line to incorporate the new equipment. This new equipment will boost the overall productivity for our entire product line, and will open new doors for sales domestically and internationally”
- Brenda vanDuinkerken, President & CEO Duinkerken Foods Inc.