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Pacific Dairy Centre chooses Chilliwack to build new plant

Construction underway on Chilliwack Mountain Road for a new 40,000 sq ft building
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JENNA HAUCK/ THE PROGRESS A construction worker uses a nail gun while working on the new Pacific Dairy Centre on Chilliwack Mountain Road Wednesday.

A growing company that serves the dairy sector exclusively is moving to Chilliwack.

Construction is underway for Pacific Dairy Centre on a new 40,000 square foot facility on Chilliwack Mountain Road.

“Pacific Dairy Centre is excited by the opportunity to continue to serve the dairy industry from our new Chilliwack facility,” said John Bruinsma, sales manager.

Pacific Dairy Centre is a leading supplier of custom waste processing equipment, and robotic milking parlour systems.

Their marketing tagline is: “the official supplier of cow comfort.”

“We believe our investment will give us room to grow, while ensuring dairy farmers have access to some of the best technologies available,” said Bruinsma.

The company outgrew its Abbotsford location, and started looking around for a suitable spot. After some considerable searching they reached out to Chilliwack Economic Partners Corporation.

CEPCO president Brian Coombes and his team were helpful, sharing some good reasons and incentives to move to Chilliwack, Franz said.

With almost 500 dairy farms in B.C. and more than 140 dairy operations right here in Chilliwack, this segment of the ag industry is a considerable part of the local economic base, Coombes told The Progress

“It’s huge business in our community,” he said. “Having an agricultural technology company like Pacific Dairy Centre locate in our community is a valuable addition to the network of businesses that support agriculture in Chilliwack.”

At the new site on Chilliwack Mountain Road, construction has begun. They’ve poured the floors, and the foundations are in.

“We will start on the tilt-up construction soon,” said Garry Franz, business manger.

He said they’d be happy to be in the new facility by Christmas.

Founded in 1986, the company employs about 35 staff, which serves the dairy farmers from Vancouver to Hope, with a few on Vancouver Island.

They already have a strong customer base in Chilliwack, and about half the staff live in Chilliwack, so the new location will be a good fit, added Franz.

Speed and efficiency of getting things done in Chilliwack, combined with lower taxes and development costs “were important factors in our decision to locate in Chilliwack.”



Jennifer Feinberg

About the Author: Jennifer Feinberg

I have been a Chilliwack Progress reporter for 20+ years, covering the arts, city hall, as well as Indigenous, and climate change stories.
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