HOPA Ports celebrates expansion of P&H Milling Group / Parrish & Heimbecker Ltd. facility at the Port of Hamilton

  • P&H Milling Group and Parrish & Heimbecker Limited, expands flour milling and grain storage at Port of Hamilton
  • Expansion includes two new storage silos and the construction of a third flour mill, making P&H the single largest user of Ontario wheat
  • P&H investment helping to feed $48 billion Ontario food processing sector
  • Port’s agrifood cluster now accounts for 31% of all cargo

HAMILTON, ON – Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority (HOPA Ports) congratulates P&H Milling Group and Parrish & Heimbecker Limited (P&H), a long-time port partner, on the announcement of a significant expansion of the company’s facility at the Port of Hamilton. This expansion underscores P&H’s commitment to serving Canadian agriculture producers and the needs of a booming Ontario baking industry.

The expansion will see P&H’s existing facility on Pier 10 in Hamilton grow with the construction of a new flour mill, the third mill at this location, with shovels in the ground this spring. Two new storage silos will also be added, dedicated to handling essential ingredients such as soymeal and distillers dried grains, as well as wheat for milling.

“Our ongoing commitment to the Canadian agricultural landscape is exemplified through this expansion in Hamilton,” said John Heimbecker, Parrish & Heimbecker CEO. “We are not just expanding our infrastructure; we are investing in the future of Canadian agriculture and the baking industry. This strategic move reaffirms our dedication to meeting the needs of both our valued agricultural partners and our business partners.”

When the first flour mill was built at Pier 10 in 2017, it was the first new-build flour mill in Ontario in 75 years. Since then, P&H doubled its capacity in 2020 with the addition of a second mill and increased storage, significantly contributing to the company’s ability to receive and process wheat efficiently. The new addition will solidify P&H’s position as the single-largest user of Ontario wheat.

“This expansion marks a significant milestone in the 15-year partnership between P&H and HOPA Ports,” said Ian Hamilton, HOPA’s President and CEO. “We applaud P&H’s growth at the Port of Hamilton, and their success in increasing grain exports along with value-added food processing. We are committed to continuing to invest in the very best transportation and supply chain infrastructure to enable companies to invest and grow. Together, we are supporting farmers and food manufacturers across Ontario.”

HOPA has been growing a leading agri-food cluster at the Port of Hamilton, anchored by companies like P&H. There are now 14 agri-food companies located at the Port, and agrifood has grown to represent 31% of the port’s overall cargo mix.

“We are absolutely thrilled to see P&H continue its success with plans to build its third flour mill, along with additional storage capacity,” said Norm Schleehahn, Director, Economic Development at the City of Hamilton. “With this expansion, Hamilton continues to demonstrate why food ingredient companies like P&H choose to invest and expand right here. P&H and HOPA Ports are strategic assets of the City’s agri-food and food & beverage processing sector, and we look forward to working with both of them on this significant expansion.”

The city of Hamilton is home to a growing food processing sector, with more than 120 food ingredients companies located in the city. The sector is connected to 105,000 jobs and $48 billion in economic activity in the province of Ontario.

 About P&H Milling Group

P&H Milling Group, a division of Parrish & Heimbecker, Limited, is a leading Canadian agribusiness that specializes in flour milling and pea processing. Committed to quality and sustainability, P&H Milling Group plays a crucial role in supporting Canadian agriculture and meeting the demands of the growing food industry.

About Parrish & Heimbecker, Limited

Parrish & Heimbecker, Limited (P&H) is a Canadian, family-owned agri-business, with roots in the agriculture industry dating back to 1909. P&H is growth-oriented, diversified, and vertically integrated with operations including grain merchandising, flour milling, as well as crop inputs and feed mills. With over 70 locations from coast to coast, and trade links around the globe, P&H leverages its well-established network of assets, strong business relationships with customers and suppliers and ongoing infrastructure development to support Canadian agricultural producers.

About HOPA Ports

As an integrated port network, the Hamilton Oshawa Port Authority (HOPA Ports) offers port and marine assets in Hamilton, Oshawa and Niagara. By investing in high-quality infrastructure and prioritizing sustainability, HOPA helps build prosperous working waterfronts in Ontario communities. Overseeing more than 1,400 acres and more than 160 tenant companies, 40,000 Ontario jobs are connected to the cargo that passes through HOPA’s integrated ports.

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For more information, please contact:

Larissa Fenn
Vice President, Corporate Affairs
HOPA Ports
[email protected]

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The Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority (HOPA Ports) is seeking a detail-oriented, organized and proactive individual to join our Finance team. This is an exciting opportunity for

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Renee Bulger, CPA, CGA

Vice President, Finance

Renee assumed the role of Vice President, Finance after having served as Director of Finance since 2023.

Renee joined the Hamilton Port Authority in 2006 as a General Accountant and was promoted to Controller in 2018. She was previously a member of the Board of Directors for the Hamilton Conservation Foundation from 2017 to 2020.

Renee received her Honours Bachelor of Commerce from Laurentian University and is a Chartered Professional Accountant.

Larissa Fenn

Vice President, Corporate Affairs

Larissa Fenn is Vice President, Corporate Affairs at HOPA Ports, leading a team responsible for communications and government relations, sustainability reporting, corporate governance and corporate culture.

Previous positions included communications and public policy roles at the Canadian Bankers Association, Credit Valley Conservation Authority, and the Regional Municipality of Halton.

Larissa holds a B.A.(Hons) in Political Science from Queen’s University. She holds the APR designation from the Canadian Public Relations Society, and completed the Senior Public Sector Leaders program at the University of Western Ontario, Ivey School of Business. Larissa has served as Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of the Royal Botanical Gardens, and as a member of the Policy Council of the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce.

Bill Fitzgerald

Vice President, Strategic Development

Bill assumed the role of Vice President, Strategic Development in 2024, after having served as HOPA’s Vice President, Operations since 2008.

Bill joined the Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority in July 1995 as Project Engineer. He previously worked with the Regional Municipality of Ottawa’s Transportation Department, as well as for the Toronto Transit Commission and the City of Waterloo.

Bill received a Bachelor of Applied Science, civil engineering / water resources, in 1995 from the University of Waterloo and registered with the Professional Engineers of Ontario in 1997.

Jeremy Dunn

Vice President, Operations

Jeremy assumed the role of Vice President, Operations in 2024 after having served as HOPA’s Commercial Vice President since 2019. Prior to joining HOPA, Jeremy served in successive leadership roles at The Miller Group, one of Canada’s leading transportation construction and infrastructure maintenance companies. Jeremy has managed multiple business groups in the heavy construction, asphalt paving and aggregates sectors driving results through business restructuring, service improvement and strategic growth. In his most recent role, Jeremy served as General Manager of Miller Maintenance, responsible for managing and growing Miller’s highway maintenance business in Ontario.

Previous to The Miller Group, Jeremy held the position of Director of Operations for the Dunn Group of Companies.

Jeremy earned his Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) through Queen’s University. He also holds a Master’s Certificate in Project Management.

Janet Knight

Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer

Chief Financial Officer for the Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority since 2008, Janet joined the HPA in 1998 as Accounting Supervisor and subsequently served as Controller.

Prior to joining the HPA, Janet held the position of Financial Analyst with St. Joseph’s Hospital, as well as various positions, including Marketing Communications/Research Lead with Zeneca Agro. Janet graduated from McMaster University in 1986 with a Bachelor of Commerce. She attained the professional designation of Certified Management Accountant in 1992.

Ian Hamilton

President & CEO

Ian Hamilton is President & CEO of HOPA Ports (Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority). He assumed this role in 2017, after serving as the Port Authority’s Vice President of Business Development and Real Estate since 2008. Ian has been instrumental in developing working waterfronts in Hamilton, Oshawa, and Niagara by attracting new business and private investment, and creating an integrated marine network across Southern Ontario.

Ian possesses more than 25 years of experience in international transportation and logistics in Europe and North America, and has held progressively senior positions in the liner shipping industry, including Transatlantic Trade Director (Europe) for CP Ships and Business Development Manager for Hapag-Lloyd. Ian is Chairperson of the Association of Canadian Port Authorities, and holds positions on various other boards, including: the Chamber of Marine Commerce, the Hamilton Club, and Brigs Youth Sail Training.

Ian holds an MBA from Aston University (UK) and a BSc in business administration and economics from the College of Charleston, South Carolina.