DIGBY, N.S. — Alain d’Entremont has never taken his eyes off of his to-do lists – not his current ones and not the one he’s been working towards for years.
And now a big to-do item is happening.
Scotia Harvest Inc. in Digby is gearing up for construction of a $14-million, 43,580-square-foot groundfish production facility in the Digby industrial park.
“I don't think any of my colleagues in the industry would be surprised that I'm building a plant, I've been talking about it for years,” says d’Entremont, president and CEO of Scotia Harvest Inc.
When Scotia Harvest Inc. acquired O'Neil Fisheries in 2012 it included a processing plant. But d’Entremont knew early on his business plans would outgrow that facility. The business was able to utilize a plant next door (previously Mariner's Choice) for the last few years, but d’Entremont’s to-do list has always been to build a new facility when he was able to.
With help from Nova Scotia Business Inc. (NSBI), he now can. NSBI has approved a business development incentive in the form of an innovation rebate for the fish harvesting and processing company. The company is eligible to earn a maximum innovation rebate of $1,863,333 upon completion of its project, based on eligible capital spending of $7,453,333.
The new facility will have more efficient processing equipment and greener technologies and will give the company the ability to improve harvesting and processing times.
It’s a game changer.
“Fitting an efficient production line in the previous facility, which was partially on stilts over the Annapolis Basin, was very difficult, if not impossible,” d’Entremont says. “We are looking forward to having proper production lines that can automate some of the process as fish move through production, while also increasing our ability to track and monitor production rates.”
They’re also focused on reducing water usage and improving energy efficiency.
The company has been working with Lindsay Construction in Dartmouth. They had hoped to start construction earlier this year but are looking at an early spring start.
“My hope has always been to be in the new facility in early 2021 and I would be disappointed if we weren't in there by mid-2021,” d’Entremont says.
The main species the company handles are haddock, redfish and pollock.
A majority of products are sold in Canada and the United States. The company has done some business in Europe and Asia and has been in discussion with other potential international customers.
The Digby company currently employs about 80 people on its production staff, in addition to administration and harvesting positions. The new facility will be able to run multiple shifts in times of high raw material availability, which the company couldn’t do in the past, says d’Entremont, who grew up in West Pubnico, lives in Yarmouth and makes the daily commute to Digby.
“It's important to note that a reason we're building here is the ability to retain our employees,” he says about the Digby location. “Their expertise and skill are important to the success of this business now and will continue to be in the future.”
D’Entremont hopes the construction of the new facility is viewed by all as a sign of confidence in rural Nova Scotia and the fishery. He adds local officials have been extremely supportive and helpful throughout this process.
“I believe that we have an abundance of raw materials off our shores and the world is full of people that would love to consume them,” he says. “If we manage the resources sustainably, although there will always be fluctuations, I'm confident the industry can continue to support further generations of fishers and their families."
