PEI

ADL moving product coast-to-coast with Walmart deal

P.E.I. milk processor ADL is selling its first product nationally thanks to a new deal with Walmart.

‘They know their stuff... They really drive a lot of traffic’

ADL is now shipping its Dairy Isle evaporated milk across Canada. (Glace Bay Food Bank Society/Facebook)

P.E.I. milk processor ADL is selling its first product nationally thanks to a new deal with Walmart.

Dairy Isle evaporated milk is now available across Canada in Walmart stores.

ADL created the Dairy Isle brand in 2016 as a vehicle for selling its products off-Island. It started with cheese, then butter and evaporated milk, but only in Atlantic Canada.

ADL CEO Chad Mann said it is difficult for a small company to manage national marketing and distribution, and that's the benefit of the Walmart deal.

"They're one of the leaders in moving retail products. They know their stuff," said Mann.

Canadians are looking for Canadian products, says ADL CEO Chad Mann. (Nicole Williams/CBC)

"They have a sophisticated distribution system. They really drive a lot of traffic to the stores. So it is appealing to a processor like ADL to leverage that type of exposure."

The milk cans are clearly labelled as product of P.E.I., including the maple leaf and blue cow identifying the product as Canadian.

Mann expects those Canadian identifiers to be a big part of the future success of the product. He said Canadian consumers are increasingly interested in buying domestically and supporting Canadian food products and agriculture.

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With files from Angela Walker