From local meat distributor to multinational conglomerate, Lee Li Holdings is diversifying its offering
In 1984, Lee Q. Shim, founder of Lee Li Holdings (Lee Li), launched a meat distribution business from a modest warehouse, primarily serving local restaurants in Ontario. 40 years later, Lee Li has become an international enterprise, standing today as a diversified multinational conglomerate with operations in the food and beverage production, restaurant, real estate, property management, medical, private equity, and mining industries. Although it has expanded exponentially over the past four decades, the business re-mains guided by the same principles that defined its early days: quality, integrity, and growth through in-novation.
The recent $533 million investment into its Mississauga manufacturing facilities sees Lee Li transforming operational capabilities even further. Now Chairman and CEO, Lee Shim describes the construction, equipment installation and workforce expansion as being ‘well underway’ and explains how the investment was driven by a clear need to increase capacity, modernize technology and position the company for long term, sustainable growth.
“Our motivation was twofold: to meet the rising demand from major global customers and to build a world class manufacturing environment that leverages advanced automation, improved efficiency, enhanced sustainability and to meet today’s high standards in food safety,” he reveals. “With the facility expansion and the creation of 275 new roles, we are taking a structured, forward looking approach to both recruitment and workforce development. Our strategy is built around three priorities: attracting the right talent, preparing employees for long term success, and strengthening the culture that has supported our growth to date.”
Prioritizing people
Lee Li is implementing a multi channel recruitment plan that includes partnerships with local colleges, skilled trades programs, and workforce development agencies, enhancing its employer branding and out-reach efforts to attract individuals who align with the company’s values and vision. “We are also investing heavily in onboarding, technical training, and cross functional skill development to support the scale of this expansion,” continues Lee Shim. “New hires will participate in structured training programs that combine classroom instruction, hands on learning, and mentorship from experienced team members. Our goal is to ensure every single employee has the tools, knowledge and support needed to perform safely, confidently and effectively.
“Our culture is rooted in collaboration, accountability and continuous improvement. We emphasize open communication, respect for diverse perspectives, and a strong commitment to safety and quality. Employ-ees are encouraged to contribute ideas, take ownership of their work, and grow within the organization. As we expand, maintaining this culture is a top priority; it’s what enables us to deliver consistent results and remain an employer of choice in the region.”
Furthermore, Lee Li is integrating a suite of state of the art technologies and fully automated systems, de-signed to elevate efficiency, quality and scalability across operations. These investments reflect the company’s commitment to building a modern manufacturing environment capable of supporting sustained growth and meeting the evolving needs of its customers. “By incorporating next generation automated processing, packaging, and material handling systems, we can increase production capacity while maintaining the highest standards of safety and quality,” Lee Shim elaborates. “Automation also plays a key role in improving workplace safety by reducing manual handling and repetitive tasks. In addition, we are implementing digital platforms that provide real time visibility into equipment performance, production metrics, and quality parameters, which allow our teams to make faster, data driven decisions and ensure operational reliability. The equipment being installed is designed with energy efficiency and waste reduction in mind.”
Continuous improvement
Sustainability is also a core pillar of Lee Li’s growth strategy. The initiatives underway at the Mississauga facility demonstrate this commitment to operating responsibly while reducing its environmental footprint. “Our targeted 30 percent reduction in energy use, wastewater generation, and plastic waste is supported by a combination of technology investments, process improvements, and a culture of continuous improvement,” highlights Lee Shim. “Our approach to water stewardship includes closed loop systems, im-proved filtration, and process redesigns that significantly reduce water usage per unit produced, and we are adopting lightweight packaging materials, increasing recycled content, and implementing automated material handling systems that reduce scrap and off spec waste. Beyond technology, we are fostering a culture where sustainability is part of every decision. Employees are trained on best practices, empowered to identify improvement opportunities, and recognized for contributions that support our environmental goals.”
As a key supplier for huge global brands, including strategic partnerships with major clients such as Costco, Starbucks, Loblaws, Walmart and Sobeys, Lee Shim explains how the company structures production to serve these organizations, without compromising efficiency or diluting value proposition: “Serving these brands requires a highly structured approach to both production and research and development (R&D). Our operating model is built to deliver the scale, consistency, and responsiveness these partners expect, while ensuring we maintain the agility and innovation that define our value proposition. We structure our production environment around disciplined planning, automated scheduling tools, and clearly defined capacity buffers, which ensures we can meet high volume, time sensitive customer requirements without creating bottlenecks or compromising service levels for other partners.” Lee Li’s commitment to operational discipline, continuous improvement and maintaining a culture that values precision and accountability is what allows the company to serve such large customers without diluting its identity. “We scale intelligently and invest in technology that enhances our core strengths, rather than replacing it,” he adds. “We ensure that every customer benefits from the same high standards of quality, safety and service.”
Sustainable growth
Strategic partnerships and collaborations have also played a significant role in Lee Li’s growth. The company is heavily involved in partnerships across four subgroups, including industry and technology partner-ships, supplier and packaging innovation collaborations, academic and workforce development partnerships and customer-driven innovation. “These relationships enable us to accelerate innovation, strengthen our technical capabilities, and enhance the value we deliver to customers,” notes Lee Shim. “We take a collaborative approach when working with organizations that complement our strengths and help us stay ahead of evolving market expectations.”
Completion of the Mississauga expansion is one of Lee Li’s top priorities for 2026, consisting of onboarding and developing the new workforce, and fully integrating the advanced automation and sustainability technologies being installed across the facility. “Our focus is scaling responsibly, strengthening operational excellence, and advancing the strategic initiatives that support our long term growth,” Lee Shim finalizes.
“Looking ahead, we plan to deepen our customer partnerships and position the business as a leader in modern, sustainable manufacturing. We expect to see the full impact of our facility expansion, automation investments, and workforce development initiatives, resulting in greater capacity, improved efficiency, and enhanced innovation capabilities. Ultimately, we see Lee Li becoming an even more agile, technology enabled, and customer focused organization – well positioned for long term, sustainable growth.”