The recent acquisition by Small Fry Snack Foods of a U.S. counterpart is welcome news for Prince Edward Island's food processing sector, says Development Minister Don MacKinnon.
"By acquiring the U.S. trademark rights for Humpty Dumpty and its assets, Small Fry Snack Foods is poised to further penetrate the New England market which will benefit Small Fry's processing operation at Slemon Park," says Minister MacKinnon.
The Province of Prince Edward Island has provided strategic support to Small Fry Snack Foods through infrastructure and marketing support since the company opened its Island operation at Slemon Park in 1996.
"Using its Summerside location, Small Fry is able to take advantage of the many positive factors to doing business on Prince Edward Island --a skilled labour force, a quality product in our potatoes to which value can be added , close proximity to lucrative export markets, and a business-friendly climate," Minister MacKinnon noted.
Small Fry Snack Foods says it expects to service its new American contracts through its locations in Summerside and New Brunswick. The company anticipates that the move will create as many as 50-60 new jobs at Slemon Park and that it will access the extra potatoes required to process locally.
"This move by Small Fry Snack Foods will not only benefit the economy of Prince County but also Prince Edward Island's rapidly expanding export markets which have grown by more than fifty percent since 1996," Minister MacKinnon observed.