Portuguese prime minister visits new factory in Kingston

Kingston Mayor Bryan Paterson met with the Prime Minister of Portugal on Thursday when he visited the new Frulact factory located at the Cataraqui business park on Centennial Drive in the northwest of the city.

The Portuguese prime minister stopped in Ottawa on Thursday morning to speak with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about how the factory in Kingston will help further the economic relationship between Portugal and Canada.

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Portuguese food processor Frulact Group is known worldwide for its fruit-based preparations and chose Kingston over a dozen other cities in Ontario for its first factory in Canada and its North American headquarters.

The company’s fruit products can be found in dairy items, ice-cream flavours and some beverages.

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The new factory created 55 jobs when it first opened in the fall of 2016.

In April of this year, the government announced a $4.3-million investment going towards the factory to help with staff training, purchasing manufacturing equipment and laboratory technology.