MBiz | Spring 2021

surrounding area, and the company has already been named one of Manitoba’s Top Employers for two years running. “Roquette took a very proactive approach to the prevention of COVID at the Portage pea-protein plant and began adopting aggressive health and safety measures as early as March 2020,” says Michelle Finley, communications and public affairs manager and lead for COVID prevention for Roquette in Canada. “The focus of our COVID prevention strategy was to put the well- being of our employees, contractors and the community at large at the heart of every decision we made.” Roquette agronomists help growers in Manitoba and Saskatchewan select the best variety of peas for the facility, and familiarize them with the company’s growing protocols. All growers are required to be enrolled in their province’s environmental farm plan programs. This summer, the facility is expected to begin producing its NU- TRALYS® pea protein, which is used in the wildly popular Beyond Meat burgers. It intends to be operating at full capacity, processing 125,000 metric tonnes of yellow peas annually, in early 2022. That is welcome economic news for the province, and good news for people around the world who are focused on improving their health and the environment by consuming more protein-rich, plant- based foods. ■

• Manufacturer of Powerlift Hydraulic Doors powerliftdoors.com • Custom Fabrication • CWB Certified 59 Elm Ave., Grunthal Mb “It Stays Welded” 204-434-6750

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SPRING 2021