Dot Foods opens massive new distribution centre in southeast Calgary
A food industry redistributor is tripling its footprint in the Calgary region to meet growing demand across Canada.
On Tuesday, Dot Foods Canada Inc. announced its move to a new 284,212-square-foot distribution centre — the equivalent of just over three CFL football fields — at 4639 72nd Ave. S.E.
Dot Foods president Georg Eversman said the company outgrew its original Calgary location.
'This new facility gives us the space and infrastructure to operate more efficiently and best serve our customers,' Eversman said in a news release.
The new facility also represents the long-term commitment of the company — the largest food industry redistributor in North America — to Calgary and its Canadian business, Eversman said.
Dot's operations in Canada include a 168,875-square-foot distribution centre in Ingersoll, Ont., about two hours west of Toronto. It also operates 13 distribution centres in the U.S.
Joe Little, Dot's regional general manager for Canada, said Calgary operations began in 2016 with a small 'two dock' operation, upgrading incrementally over the years.
The new facility has 24 dock doors and room for 10,000 pallets across dry, frozen and refrigerated storage. They handle 20 to 25 truckloads from 53-foot trailers per week, according to Little.
'We've got a very aggressive strategic plan and volume plan . . . within four years, hopefully we'll have doubled the operation from what it is today,' said Little.
Dot currently has more than 40 employees in Calgary; the expansion is expected to create 35 new jobs in warehousing, truck driving and administration over the next three years.
The new facility comes just weeks after a city council committee agreed unanimously on an action plan to spur industrial development in Calgary, which has stagnated in the past decade. The plan still requires approval from city council before it's ratified.
The industrial sector contributes 16 per cent of the city's total tax revenue annually, or more than $300 million. It also accounts for 10 per cent of the city's jobs.
In the past 10 years, many corporations have chosen to set up manufacturing or distribution centres outside Calgary, often in Rocky View County, where taxes are lower and land is cheaper.
From 2018 to 2024, the region outside of Calgary was responsible for 90 per cent of net new buildings in the area, according to an Avison Young report.
Dot is excited about the growth potential in Western Canada, says Little.
'Particularly in Calgary, we like the workforce, we like all the relationships that we've started, so we're excited about it,' he said. 'Today's formal grand opening is really just kind of the kickoff for us.'
Eversman pointed out the potential of the Canadian market, and noted that's why the company continues to invest in larger facilities.
As a redistributor, Dot manages things such as transportation, warehousing, labour and otherwise for more than 100 distributors — who take products the 'last mile' to the customer.
In terms of stock on hand, Dot keeps about 2,100 items at its two facilities, but has more than 7,500 available by order. Around 51 per cent of the goods are sourced in Canada, according to Little.
'If they want it, we order it. We'll get it from the suppliers and make it available to them,' said Little.
At the grand opening, Dot unveiled a $25,000 donation split between five local non-profits: Roots 2 STEM, Hope Mission, Calgary United Way, Calgary Police Youth and Alzheimer Calgary.
'Community partnership has been a cornerstone of how we operate since Day 1, and that commitment continues here in Calgary,' Eversman said.
swilhelm@postmedia.com
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
3 hours ago
- USA Today
Vlad Skots Built Motion TMS to Give Small Truckers Big Tools
The U.S. trucking industry generates over $1 trillion in economic activity each year. But while it plays an outsized role in powering the economy, the structure of the sector tells a more fragmented story. As of early 2024, more than 95% of motor carriers operate 10 or fewer trucks, and around 16% of all drivers are independent owner-operators. These small and mid-sized fleets are indispensable to national freight movement, yet they often lack access to the technologies and infrastructure that larger carriers take for granted. In response to this imbalance, USKO Inc. developed Motion TMS, a Transportation Management System built from real-world operational needs. Designed with smaller operators in mind, Motion TMS brings together mission-critical functions like dispatch, compliance, document management, and financials into one platform. Tools like these could help independent fleets not only stay competitive but scale more sustainably. Empowering Smaller Fleets Through Smart Tech Running a small fleet today often means juggling dispatch calls, DOT paperwork, route planning, driver support, and invoicing, all with limited administrative staff and tight margins. A system like Motion TMS is designed to streamline these core operations. By integrating route planning, safety compliance, document processing, and real-time load visibility, platforms like this offer smaller carriers the kind of operational backbone typically reserved for national fleets. For many operators, this kind of digital consolidation can be the difference between operating reactively and planning proactively. These tools allow businesses to function with greater agility, better resource allocation, and real-time accountability. Yet without sacrificing their independence. 'We didn't build Motion TMS sitting in an office. We built it while running trucks, fixing problems, and dealing with real chaos. It's a tool made by people who've lived it. It helps small fleets move faster, spend less, and stay in control. Big companies had the tech for years. Now we're giving it to the ones who actually move America. This is a shift in power.' Vlad Skots, CEO, USKO Inc. Managing Costs in a Volatile Environment Cost pressures in trucking remain high. According to RTS Inc., in 2023, average operational costs per mile hit $2.27, driven largely by fluctuations in fuel, equipment prices, and driver wages. For smaller fleets that lack the purchasing power of large enterprises, every inefficiency hits harder. Systems like Motion TMS aim to ease this burden with features like optimized dispatching, mileage tracking, digital compliance alerts, and same-day driver payouts. For drivers, the app-based interface simplifies their daily experience, providing real time access to documents, load details, and earnings. Adapting to the Future with Predictive Tools According to Geotab's 2024 industry report, 65% of carriers plan to adopt AI-powered tools within the next two years to enhance logistics performance. Motion TMS is currently developing AI-enabled dispatch and predictive load planning features that could bring automation to everyday logistics decisions, from optimizing truck routes to preventing scheduling conflicts and reducing empty miles. 'This shift toward AI-integrated platforms is about equipping operators with insights they can act on faster and with more confidence, not removing human oversight,' underpinned Vlad Skots. Demonstrated Results Across Fleets Motion TMS has been tested across USKO's owner operators fleet of 3,000+ vehicles, including sprinter vans, straight-, and semi-trucks. Over a two-plus-year period now, the system has proven its capacity to scale while maintaining operational clarity and user simplicity. For other carriers, that means the platform is already built to handle the pressure and complexity of national freight operations, and can be tailored to suit smaller businesses with minimal learning curves. A Broader Industry Impact Even as the number of active motor carriers dropped 3.7% in 2024, freight demand rose — shipments were up 9% in Q2 alone — and kept rising ever since. The ability to handle more freight with fewer resources makes software like Motion TMS not just essential but inevitable. At a time when the market is calling for more efficiency and stronger logistics infrastructure, platforms like Motion TMS offer one possible path forward. The question isn't whether technology will redefine trucking. It's who will have access to it. Vlad Skots, a former truck driver turned disruptor, is CEO of USKO Inc., a global logistics firm. He is also the visionary behind Motion TMS, a platform designed to help small and mid-sized fleets operate more efficiently in today's transportation economy. Disclosure: USKO Inc. stands to benefit commercially from the adoption of Motion TMS.
Time Magazine
4 hours ago
- Time Magazine
Breakdown in Trade Talks Between U.S. and Canada, Explained
Negotiations between the U.S. and Canada have broken down, with President Donald Trump announcing that he is 'terminating' all trade discussions with his northern neighbor. 'We are hereby terminating ALL discussions on trade with Canada, effective immediately,' Trump said on Friday. 'We will let Canada know the tariff that they will be paying to do business with the United States of America within the next seven-day period.' Trump's retreat from negotiations follows a long-standing back-and-forth between the two countries on trade, which kickstarted when Trump implemented the application of an additional 25% tariff on imports from Canada in February. ( Energy resources from Canada received a lower 10% tariff.) With tensions now reaching a high, spurred on by Trump threatening more tariffs on Canada, parties in both countries have voiced concern over where things currently stand. What led to the breakdown in negotiations of trade between the U.S. and Canada? Trump called Canada 'a very difficult country to trade with,' blaming the breakdown in progress on Canada's Digital Services Tax [DST], a levy on tech revenues generated from Canadian users, which is set to go into effect on Monday, June 30. Trump called the 3% digital services tax 'a direct and blatant attack' on the U.S. The Trump Administration has urged Canada to pause or eliminate the tax, which applies to any tech company making more than $15 million from Canadian internet users. In his social media post, Trump said the U.S. had 'just been informed' of the tax. The plan has, in fact, been in place since last year, but the first payments are only due to begin on June 30. The bill works retroactively, so large tech companies such as Apple, Google, and Meta stand to be hit with large payments. 'Here's the irony. To me, this looks like a power play from Canada, because they're making it retroactive… so Trump came along and said, 'No, no more deals—watch and learn,'' argues James Mohs, an associate professor of accounting, finance, and taxation at the University of New Haven. He likens the situation to two 'bullies' fighting each other on the block to see 'who's the biggest.' A June 11 letter from Republican members of the U.S. Congress urged Trump to pressure Canada into pausing the tax. 'If Canada decides to move forward with this unprecedented, retroactive tax, it will set a terrible precedent that will have long-lasting impacts on global tax and trade practices,' said the 21 members of Congress, further arguing that 90% of what Canada would collect under its Digital Services Tax Act would be from U.S. companies. Trump's announcement of stalled talks came a week after Canada's Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne said that they would not delay implementation of the tax, despite mounting pressure. "This was voted by parliament so we're going ahead with the DST," Champagne told reporters on June 19. "[The Digital Services Tax] is not unique to Canada, by the way. Let's put that into context." In the Oval Office on Friday, Trump told reporters that the U.S. has "all the cards' in its relationship with Canada. "Economically, we have such power over Canada. I'd rather not use it," he seemingly warned. Speaking to Fox News' Maria Bartiromo on Friday, for an interview of which the first part aired on Sunday morning, Trump delved into his decision to stop negotiations with Canada, saying the country is 'very nasty to deal with.' He stated that the negotiations would be paused 'until such time as they drop certain taxes,' seemingly referring to the DST. Trump also once again repeated his belief that 'Canada should be the 51st state.' Read More: Does Trump Still Plan to Annex Canada and Make It the 51st State? Meanwhile, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Friday that though the Trump Administration knew of the Digital Service Tax, they had hoped that Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's new Administration would, 'as a sign of good will,' pause it. 'We think it's badly unfair to do it retroactively,' Bessent said, stating that U.S. Trade Ambassador Jamieson Greer is likely going to open a 301 investigation on the tax, which would allow the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) to investigate any potential harm on U.S. businesses. Colin Robertson, a former Canadian diplomat and current fellow at the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, says that Trump has 'thrown a grenade into the negotiations," but hope for a deal is far from lost. 'I look at this as part of the negotiating process. Trump is unpredictable, but my guess is that there are those in the U.S. who would like to see an agreement with Canada,' he says. 'I think that the interests on both sides are such that an agreement is possible and desirable—certainly [from] the Canadian side, but for the American side, also. I think they want to be able to show the rest of the world you can make a deal with your closest neighbor and ally. And if you can't do it with Canada, who can you do it with?' This is not dissimilar to how Trump does business, as he prioritizes gaining 'as much leverage as he can' before making a deal, Robertson argues. Mohs agrees, stating that this is all 'a negotiation tool, nothing more, nothing less.' How has Canada responded? In a brief exchange with reporters on Friday, Carney addressed questions about the breakdown in talks. 'We will continue to conduct these complex negotiations in the best interest of Canadians," he said, firmly. The Canadian government also retaliated later on Friday, placing a steel quota on some imports, with a hefty 50% tariff on products that exceed that quota. The measure went into effect immediately, and is set to be reviewed in 30 days. 'This temporary trade measure will help stabilize the Canadian steel market by addressing the risk that steel originally destined for the United States is redirected to Canada,' stated the government's press release on the measure. 'The combination of tariffs imposed by the U.S. on all steel imports and global overcapacity, caused by non-market practices, has led many exporters to seek new markets.' Robertson sees this move as 'consistent' with what Canada has promised in the past. 'I think that all fits into [how] we had promised we would take action when Trump doubled the tariff from 25% to 50%,' he says, arguing that Canada, as 'the biggest steel exporter to the U.S.,' will likely lift these measures if they can get back to a trade agreement. At the G7 summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada on June 16, Carney had said that he and Trump were working towards finding a trade deal within 30 days, something Trump had agreed was 'achievable.' But the subsequent blow to their relations puts any deal on shaky ground. Goldy Hyder, CEO of Business Council of Canada, said that this back-and-forth has only escalated the uncertainty that businesses are struggling with. While change is happening on the geopolitical and economic scale, Hyder pointed out, geography never will change, and these neighboring countries need to find a way out of these stalled negotiations. '[Canadian] businesses are intertwined not just with the U.S., but also with Mexico. We have smart people, we have a lot of natural resources,' Hyder told Canada's CTV News. 'We've grown an economy that's working and can continue to grow, but it's challenging because business, of course, likes predictability and certainty, and it doesn't have a nationality that it's attached to.' Sharing a message to the governments of both the U.S. and Canada, Hyder urged: "Let's not get in our own way here." But some experts remain divided on whether or not Canada should pause the tax in order to appease Trump. Julian Karaguesian, a former adviser to Canada's Ministry of Finance, told CTV that Canada's Prime Minister and Finance Minister had 'different means' to 'delay the implementation' of the tax. 'It leads me to think that this was a tactic by Prime Minister Carney—putting a card on the table because, as President Trump said, [the U.S.] has more cards than we do, but we have some,' Karaguesian argued, pointing to Canada as a major energy producer with reserves of oil and gas. Karaguesian said Canada, as a 'natural resource superpower,' could, if backed into a corner, utilize this, and also build out other existing trade relationships with India, China, and beyond. 'It's not much at all,' Karaguesian said of the amount of money Canada might gain from the tax, emphasizing that the charge is not a tariff. 'The tax is part of our domestic policy, and every sovereign nation has a right to pursue domestic policies.' There's mounting tension on both sides, says Mohs, but "when it comes to business, a trade war is not going to work well for either Canada or the U.S.'
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
We're 68 and just retired, but instead of downsizing like our friends, we want to upsize. Are we crazy?
Janelle and her husband, both 68, recently retired and are ready to make the most of their golden years. They own a condo, which originally they thought would be ideal for retirement. But now, with an active lifestyle, and more time spent babysitting their grandkids, they're wondering if it actually makes sense to upsize during retirement. Janelle spent most of her career commuting to an office, while her husband spent long stretches on the road for work. Now that they're retired, they want to enjoy their home. Janelle, who recently took up watercolours, wants a space to herself where she can paint, preferably a sunroom overlooking a garden. Her husband wants a 'man cave' where he can watch football and Formula One. A vast majority of Canadians (94%) over 45 agree that aging in place would allow them to maintain independence, comfort and dignity throughout the aging process, according to an Ipsos poll. For some, that may mean downsizing. Nearly half (46%) of adults approaching retirement intend to downsize their home within two year of exiting their full-time career, according to a Royal LePage poll. However, 47% of respondents say they will not, which gives some credence to Janelle and her husband's retirement goals. But could it make sense for some retired couples? Here's what Janelle and her husband might want to consider before making a move. Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says this 7-step plan 'works every single time' to kill debt, get rich — and 'anyone' can do it 5 essential money moves to help boost your net worth today — here's how to up your money game in 2025 (and you can complete each step within minutes) Are you rich enough to join the top 1%? Here's the net worth you need to rank among Canada's wealthiest — plus a few strategies to build that first-class portfolio Upsizing can enhance quality of life, providing more space for family visits or home-based hobbies as many retirees are 'realizing their dreams' of spending more time with family and friends and pursuing hobbies. It allows for flexibility along the continuum of life. It could make sense for multigenerational households, — say, if you're regularly babysitting your grandchildren — or if your adult children help out with caregiving duties. It could provide space for a live-in caregiver, or serve as an extra source of income if you rent out a room, basement apartment or garden suite. Moving is costly, from selling your home and buying a new one to moving costs themselves, which can range from $600 to $6455, depending on whether you use a professional moving service to relocate either locally or to another province, according to Move Advisor. You may not net as much from your sale as you hope, meaning you may have to dip into your retirement savings or borrow money to get a bigger home. Currently, it's a balanced market nationwide, with only Ontario is considered a buyer's market according to WOWA. Furthermore, the average home price across Canada has only dipped 1.1% over the past 12 months. Meanwhile, the prime rate in Canada for a mortgage is 4.95%, thanks to the Bank of Canada's decision to hold its rate at 2.75% Even if you buy a big home in a more affordable area, larger homes come with higher utility bills, maintenance and insurance costs. If you need to hire someone for maintenance and repairs, such as regularly mowing the lawn, you'll need to account for that in your retirement budget. While it may be unpleasant to think about, if one spouse dies sooner than expected, or if the grandkids don't visit as often as you counted on, then a big, empty house could also end up feeling rather lonely. Read more: Here are — and very quickly regret. How many are hurting you? Before upsizing, Janelle and her husband may want to answer some key questions: Are there other expenses we need to budget for, such as more furniture to fill a larger home? Can we afford this while still preserving a financial cushion for emergencies and health care? Are we prepared for the extra work (such as maintenance) that comes with a larger home? Will we still want or be able to live in a bigger space in 10 to 15 years? Is this larger home suitable to an aging-in-place lifestyle (e.g., are there too many stairs)? How will this move affect our estate plan and heirs? Working with a financial advisor to run the numbers can help couples like Janelle and her husband determine whether upsizing would be the right move for their retirement years. 1. Ipsos: Nearly all Canadians (96%) Aged Forty-Five and Older Say Aging in Place Enables the Preservation of Independence and Dignity (May 16, 2025) 2. Royal LePage: The new real estate reality for retirees: Exiting the workforce with mortgage debt (May 27, 2025) 3. Move Advisor: What's the Cost of Moving Across Canada?, by Joshua Green (May 27, 2025) 3. WOWA: Canadian Housing Market Report I'm almost 50 and don't have enough retirement savings. What should I do? Don't panic. Here are 6 solid ways you can catch up Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway bought nearly 26 million shares of this Canadian company in 2024 — here are 3 ways to help you invest like the Oracle of Omaha What would you do if you had an emergency vet bill worth $5,000 tomorrow? Here's how to protect your furry friend (and keep your wallet intact) Billionaires like Mark Zuckerberg and Jay-Z have taken out mortgages for homes they can easily afford — here's why This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
