Gray Construction Canada Company Partners with Keller Construction Ltd. on Champion Petfoods New NorthStar® Kitchens

“To be associated with such a great building partner in Gray Construction Canada Company is very exciting for me and for our entire team at Keller. We are a better company because of this association,” said John Cameron, President and CEO of Keller. “From day one it was clear that our companies’ values aligned, most importantly on safety.”

The earthwork recently began on the 400,000 s.f. new NorthStar^® Kitchens, in which Champion is expected to start cooking in 2019 to advance its Biologically Appropriate™ mandate and accommodate the growing global demand for its award-winning pet food brands, ACANA and ORIJEN. Purpose-built from the ground up by Gray Construction Canada Company and their new design-build partner Keller Construction Ltd., Champion’s new NorthStar^® Kitchens will continue to position Champion as a global leader in pet food innovation.

“Keller’s president and CEO said it well when he pointed out how both our companies align in values with Champion, and together, we have a strong team dedicated toward a successful project,” said Stephen Gray, president and CEO of Gray.

The new NorthStar^® Kitchens will continue serving Champion’s Canadian and export markets, consisting of over 80 countries, by cooking ACANA and ORIJEN kibble and freeze-dry foods and treats, as well as house a full on-site distribution warehouse and logistics center. Champion is committed to its home of Alberta and will continue to invest in building local partnerships and a strong community, and therefore, more than 95 percent of the construction workforce will be staffed locally in Alberta. The new kitchens will also create an estimated 200 jobs once cooking at full capacity.

About Champion Petfoods

Champion Petfoods is an independent, award-winning Canadian pet food maker with a tradition of innovation and leadership that spans over more than 30 years. Known and trusted among pet lovers everywhere, Champion’s ACANA and ORIJEN brands of Biologically Appropriate™ foods mirror the evolutionary diets of dogs and cats, feature unmatched inclusions of fresh and local ingredients, and are prepared exclusively in the company’s own award-winning kitchens. Its foods, ACANA and ORIJEN, are found in over 80 countries worldwide.

For more information on Champion Petfoods, visit www.championpetfoods.com.

About Keller Construction Ltd.

Keller Construction Ltd., was incorporated in 1962 in the Province of Alberta, Canada. The first office was established in Calgary and an Edmonton office was opened in 1967. In 1968, all operations were moved to the Edmonton office giving a centrally located base from which they were able to manage jobs throughout Manitoba, Saskatchewan, British Columbia and all of Alberta. Due to the needs of their customers, they re-established their Calgary office in 1996 which, in turn, gave them the ability to ensure ecstatic customers in Southern Alberta and throughout Western Canada.

Their methodology extends beyond that of the basic services offered by the conventional general contractor.  In an ever-changing marketplace, they have endeavored to stay on the leading edge of the industry. Keller Construction has adapted their business over the last 54 years to deliver construction services efficiently and effectively. With knowledgeable, experienced staff, Keller Construction Ltd., strives to, and succeeds at, exceeding their customers’ expectations with every project that they do.

For more information on Keller Construction Ltd., visit www.keller.ab.ca.

About Gray Construction Canada Company

Gray Construction Canada Company is part of Gray Construction, a leading engineering, architecture and construction firm with nearly 60 years of experience in manufacturing and food and beverage facility design and construction. If you have food and beverage plant construction needs, please contact Phil Seale, executive vice president, food & beverage markets at pseale@gray.com. Or, contact Tyler Cundiff, director of business development, Food & Beverage Group at tcundiff@gray.com.

For more information on Gray Construction Canada Company, visit www.gray.com/about-gray/gray-construction-canada-company.