About

Pelmen Foods, legally known as 1662864 Ontario Limited o/a Pelmen Foods, is a Canadian frozen food manufacturing company founded in 1995 and located in Toronto, Ontario. It operates as a privately held, owner-operated specialty niche manufacturer. The company’s core business is the production of perogies, a popular Eastern European dumpling. Pelmen is a leader in the perogie category in Canada.  Pelmen Foods focuses on a single product line, offering 25 flavors across approximately 100 SKUs, including traditional pierogies (regular and mini) and dessert perogies. These offerings include meat, dairy-free, vegan, and vegetarian options. The company maintains a value proposition centered on premium quality at an affordable price, using category-leading ingredients like fresh potatoes and fresh cheeses, and featuring a high filling-to-dough ratio.

Project

The proposed project involves implementing robotics at multiple stages of the manufacturing process, with a significant focus on the Product Bagging and Product Boxing Stations to overcome existing production bottlenecks and increase capacity.  Through the support of the Development and Commercialization program, Pelmen will be working with the MMRI TDS.  MMRI will be supporting Pelmen with the selection and testing of pressure and visual sensors which are key to the robotic packaging line.  

Impact

This project will result in a fully developed and tested automation solution for Pelmen to incorporate into their production line.  The primary goal is to use the enhanced capabilities to drive increased sales by expanding into new markets in Canada and the United States.   Pelmen forecasts cost savings, improved quality control and increased productivity as a result of the increased automation in the line.  This will increase revenues for Pelmen as well as support the hiring of up to 8 additional full-time staff.