Ontario Welcomes $65 Million Boost to Niagara Manufacturing Sector
Smithville – The Ontario government is supporting $65 million in investments by three local companies to boost local manufacturing and create forty-six new, good-paying jobs in Niagara. As part of these investments, the province is providing the companies with $6.7 million in support through the Regional Development Program.
MPP Oosterhoff joined Hon. Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, at local packaging manufacturer, Stanpac, in Smithville today for the regional announcement.
“Niagara is home to a robust manufacturing community, and thanks to their continued growth and investment, we can be confident that our targeted approach to fostering stability and growth across our economy is working,” said the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade.
“Our government is proud to support local businesses as they expand and create new jobs in communities across the province.”
“Niagara has long been a manufacturing powerhouse, employing tens of thousands of people in the automotive, paper, steel, hydroelectric and food processing sectors,” said MPP Oosterhoff.
“Our government is continuing to support this manufacturing legacy with strategic investments through the Regional Development Program, ensuring Niagara remains a top destination for jobs and talent well into the future.”
Recipients in Niagara include:
- Stanpac in Smithville manufactures dairy, food and beverage packaging for businesses around the world. With an investment of over $35 million in advanced equipment, robotics and upgrades, Stanpac will increase the efficiency of its facility in Smithville, including creating a machine shop to service all machinery in-house. The project is supported by more than $3.3 million in funding through the Regional Development Program and will create thirty new jobs.
- AMSI in Beamsville designs and constructs e-houses, a prefabricated building that houses electrical equipment for a wide range of industries including power generation, mining, industrial automation, hydro and electrical distribution, oil and gas, public transportation, biomass and the environmental sectors. The company is investing about $20 million to construct a new 67,000 square-foot facility to improve manufacturing processes for large, complex equipment that will increase productivity and growth. The project is supported by $2.1 million in funding through the Regional Development Program and will create nine new jobs.
- St. David’s Cold Storage in Niagara-on-the-Lake, a company that provides cold, freezer and ambient storage solutions to food and beverage manufacturers, is investing $9 million to expand its facility and double its refrigerated storage space. This will include one of the first CO2-based refrigerant systems in Canada, as well as additional upgrades to limit energy consumption, helping the company to scale up their operations to begin exporting. The project is supported by over $1.3 million in funding through the Regional Development Program and will create seven new jobs for recent graduates and local young professionals.
Ontario is investing $140 million through its Regional Development Program to help manufacturers across the province grow, while supporting distinct regional priorities and challenges. To date, Ontario has provided more than $122 million to support more than 100 projects through the program, leveraging more than $1.3 billion in new investments and helping to create more than 2,500 jobs in the province.
Applications are now being accepted for the next intake round of Regional Development Program funding until January 25, 2024.