Can-Oat Milling Expanding Plant

SASKATOON - May 22/02 - SNS -- Can-Oat Milling is increasing the annual capacity of its oat milling plant in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba by over 25 million pounds in an expansion expected to be completed in August.

The company is making the changes to its plant to take advantage of the industrial oat flake ingredient market.

"Can-Oat has seen dramatic growth in the flake ingredient category, and we have positioned ourselves to meet the strong demand. This project will enable us to continue to provide our customers with the product quality and high level of service that they have come to expect from Can-Oat," says President, Karl Gerrand.

"There is a growing demand for flaked oat ingredients as consumers around the world look for healthy, convenient food options," says Mayo Schmidt, Chief Executive Officer of Saskatchewan Wheat Pool, which is the parent company to Can-Oat Milling. "This expansion is evidence of the Pool's commitment to value added processing on the Prairies and to the success which Can-Oat has had in growing its business."

Can-Oat began operations in 1991, when it opened an oat processing facility in Portage La Prairie, Manitoba, which is a prime location for sourcing the best milling quality oats in Canada. In 1997, Can-Oat added a second facility in Saskatoon in the heart of Saskatchewan's oat growing region. The company processes over 260,000 metric tons of milling quality oats and employs 150 full-time people at its two prairie locations.

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