Feeding the world sustainably and responsibly

Olymel and Marel have a long-standing relationship, so when Olymel decided to expand their operations in Saint-Damase, they turned to Marel for solutions. The Saint-Damase facility is a producer for a large retail service group in Canada. At the time, much of the cut-up, deboning and packing was being outsourced to a contractor and this affected shelf life and yield and was much more difficult to control.

A proven solution

Marel invited Olymel to see an already proven solution for the retail sector in the US at Lincoln Premium Poultry in Fremont Nebraska. According to Laurent Jodoin, Plant Manager at the Saint-Damase facility, an in-line solution was very important and bringing this operation in-house was essential. “We have a shorter time now in processing, so the shelf life of the product is better and the customer is happy,” comments Jodoin. A complete cut-up line with two AMF-i breast cap filleting machines and two RoboBatcher Flex machines for boneless fillets and drumsticks was the final solution. Along with that, Olymel also has two SensorX systems for detecting bones in breast fillets and thighs and two Multihead Weighers all as part of this final solution.

Transferring knowledge

The equipment was totally new for the Saint-Damase facility, so training from the Marel team was a high priority. From operators to maintenance to production, the transfer of knowledge was critical. Having technicians and a project manager that spoke French was a big help. “Everything went really smoothly, was organized, and was on time,” Jodoin says. The line startup was September 2021 and Olymel had three-quarters of the staff to start the line; getting it right was imperative. It took a few months, but Olymel is now running the line at almost full capacity.

Labor challenges

As with the entire world, Olymel also faces labor challenges. Expanding the facility required them to hire 80 additional people, however, having automation on this line saved them staffing costs. “Without the RoboBatcher, we would have had to hire an additional 20 people,” comments Jodoin. Labor savings can also be seen with the semi-automatic AMF-i breast cap filleting solutions versus a manual cone line solution.

Every minute counts

“We expect Marel to be adaptive to our needs, and fit into our plans. This was a beautiful project for Olymel and Marel,” Jodoin continues. “Having a supplier understand that every minute counts is important. Being easily reachable and listening to our needs and helping us obtain our goals are all important aspects. And we are happy that we have found this in Marel. In Olymel, we look at the numbers and we are very pleased with what we have done with Marel and the partnership we have formed.

About Olymel – 30 years of tradition

As a leader in the agrofood industry, and proud of its Quebec roots, the superior quality of its products and its 15,000 employees, Olymel has a single motivation and mission: together feed the world. These last decades have been a period of continuous growth for Olymel. Through several acquisitions and business partnerships, they are now the Canadian leader in producing, processing, and marketing pork and poultry meat. With revenues of $4.5 billion, they have 27 plants in four Canadian provinces and export to over 65 countries. Olymel constantly strives to modernize its equipment, improve efficiency, and invest in research and development to better serve consumers as dining habits change. They were awarded for their initiatives in sodium reduction, and they have implemented allergen control in their facilities. The research and development team are dedicated to continuous improvements of products and processes all while keeping a focus on performance and navigating through changing consumer eating habits.

Company website: olymel.ca