Bonduelle Canada Inc. has announced upgrades to three vegetable processing facilities in southwestern Ontario, including the one in Tecumseh.

Ontario is investing up to $8.5 million in Bonduelle’s $79.8-million facility expansion project through the Jobs and Prosperity Fund – Food and Beverage Growth Fund.

The company says it will create 87 jobs and retain more than 700 positions in Tecumseh, Ingersoll and Strathroy.

“We want to thank the Ontario government for their partnership in order to continue to help Bonduelle to grow in Ontario in both canned and frozen vegetable technologies with the grant agreement for the Jobs and Prosperity Fund,” says Daniel Caumartin, vice president of business development for Bonduelle.

Through the fund, the provincial government will help Bonduelle adopt new technology to put new frozen vegetable products and packaging formats on the domestic and export markets, increase productivity, enhance food safety and increase exports.

Officials anticipated that exports to the U.S. will increase by $34 million per year, a 55 per cent increase over current levels.