Dainty Foods breaks ground on first US plant with $85m investment

By Jed Nykolle Harme

June 09, 2026

Photo Credits: CNW Group

Canadian rice producer Les Aliments Dainty Foods, owned by the Marbour Group and based in Windsor, Ontario, will build its first US manufacturing facility in Batavia, Ohio, as reported by Food Business News.

The 250,000 sq ft plant will use automation to enhance efficiency, product quality, and supply chain performance, with infrastructure designed specifically for optimised logistics, including a dedicated rail spur, three inbound loading bays for raw materials, and six outbound bays for finished goods distribution across the United States.

Once fully operational, the facility is expected to produce up to 250 million units annually, manufacturing retort pouches and expanding into cups and bowls to meet growing US consumer demand for convenient meal solutions.

CEO James Maitland said: "This investment marks a transformative milestone in Dainty's growth strategy. Establishing Dainty USA LLC strengthens our presence in the US market, increases production capacity with world-class automation, and brings innovative, convenient meal solutions closer to American consumers. The site was chosen for its Midwest supply chain strength, workforce, infrastructure, and business-friendly environment. We are proud to invest in the Batavia community, and excited to offer US produced goods. We look forward to building a strong, long-term partnership in the region."

Production will ramp up in phases, with phase one scheduled to be operational in the first quarter of 2027.

The company will initially invest $85 million (€78.5 million) in the facility, with a total projected investment of up to $150 million (€138.4 million) over five years.

The phased approach reflects a deliberate operational strategy, allowing Dainty to build capacity incrementally, manage capital deployment efficiently, and align production output with market demand as the US business scales.

The facility's logistics infrastructure, including dedicated rail access and segregated inbound and outbound bays, points to a supply chain model built for high-volume throughput and distribution efficiency across a geographically large market.

The Batavia investment establishes Dainty with its first sovereign US production base, reducing dependence on cross-border supply and positioning the company to respond more rapidly to shifts in American retail and foodservice demand.

Read the full report on Dainty Foods' first US manufacturing facility.