Brimich's new cold storage facility represents more than $100M investment in County of Brant
- 17 hours ago
- 3 min read
Casandra Turnbull
Managing Editor
A new cold storage and distribution facility under construction on Oak Park Road, just outside of Paris, is expected to bring new jobs, establish a corporate headquarters in the County of Brant and strengthen Southwestern Ontario's food supply chain through an investment expected to exceed $100 million.
Members of County of Brant council and staff toured the Brimich Logistics facility at 635 Oak Park Rd. on July 17, receiving an inside look at the highly automated warehouse that will soon begin operations.
"I've had a lot of people ask about the new building being constructed on Oak Park Road and yesterday members of council and county staff had the opportunity to learn more about this new Brimich cold (frozen) distribution facility," Ward 2 Councillor Steve Howes said following the tour.
Brimich, a family-owned company led by the Fergus family, operates multiple cold storage facilities across Southwestern Ontario and employs more than 600 people. The company specializes in refrigerated and frozen food logistics, serving as a key link between food manufacturers and retailers.
Howes described the new facility as a "very well planned" operation featuring 35 shipping and receiving doors and space for multiple transport trucks to queue on-site, preventing traffic from backing onto surrounding roads.
Inside, automated storage systems will manage tens of thousands of pallets of frozen food maintained at temperatures of -18 C and -25 C. Heated floors and walls have been incorporated into the design to protect the building and its concrete foundation from frost heaving.
The facility will also become Brimich's corporate headquarters, bringing new employment opportunities to the county, including skilled technical and engineering positions.
Ward 1 Councillor Jennifer Kyle said the scale of the operation was particularly striking.
"I left with a much greater appreciation for this often unseen part of our food supply chain," said Kyle who’s spent her career in the agriculture industry. She’s has a hand in operating a farm, visited food processing plants and manufactures. "It's exciting to see a company like Brimich choosing County of Brant for its new headquarters, bringing new jobs to our community while supporting one of our greatest strengths: agriculture and food."
Howes said the project's economic impact extends well beyond the company itself.
"By the time they are done, this will end up being a $100 million-plus investment in local employment, creating many new jobs, and will further assist the local economy as other local industries feed into this facility," he said.
He also thanked company president Pat Fergus, local builder Peter Vicano and their teams for providing council with an educational tour of the facility.
Construction has been progressing since 2025 through multiple building permit phases, including foundations for a marshalling bay, electrical room and office building.
The project remains the subject of a zoning bylaw amendment application that will return to County of Brant council in September.
The application seeks permission to increase the maximum building height from 18 metres to 46 metre, roughly equivalent to a 12- to 15-storey building, and reduce parking requirements for warehouse uses to reflect the facility's high level of automation and lower employee density.
A public information meeting on the proposal was held June 9, with council receiving the information at that time. A final decision on the zoning amendment is expected later this year.
Brimich Logistics operates five other corporate operations and warehouse facilities in the City of Brantford.