Saskatchewan meat company builds new plant

Saskatchewan-owned and operated Drake Meats Processors Inc. will be expanding operations with a new meat processing facility in Saskatoon.

Construction of the new federally inspected facility is already underway.

The company’s goal is to open the facility’s doors in September 2026 and be fully operational within 12 to 18 months. Once fully operational, the new location is expected to employ 200 people.

“The construction of our new facility is a tremendous milestone in the growth story of Drake,” chief executive officer Kelly Ediger said in the May 20 announcement.

The Ediger family has operated Drake Meats for four generations.

When the company was started as a community meat locker in 1949, Ediger’s grandfather was one of the first employees. His son, Norman, purchased the meat locker and passed it on to his son, Kelly, who has built the company further.

Currently, Drake Meats operates a main plant in Drake, Sask., which is provincially inspected, and leases federally inspected space at the Agri-Food Centre in Saskatoon.

Due to Canada’s interprovincial trade regulations, products from the Drake plant can’t be sold outside of Saskatchewan, while those from the Agri-Food Centre can.

“We’ve grown over the last 10 years,” said Cameron Johnson, the company’s executive chair.