Canada invests in aeronautics sector with support for Canadian Materials Testing Bureau

MONTRÉAL — The Government of Canada offers the Canadian Materials Testing Bureau a repayable contribution of $174,000.

This CED support, provided under the Aerospace Regional Recovery Initiative (ARRI), will enable the SME to meet the needs of Quebec and international aerospace manufacturers and increase the industry’s capacity in the context of growing global volumes.

The CMTB is a value-added services business founded in 2020. In existence since 1991 as a laboratory within X-Per-X Inc., and then SGS Canada Inc. starting in 2005, the CMTB became an independent business at the start of the pandemic. As SGS Canada was planning its closure, laboratory head Amir Ershad Fanaei decided to purchase the assets in order to maintain the eight jobs in existence and pursue operations. The CMTB offers a complete range of laboratory services in metallurgy, particularly for manufacturing businesses.

Due to its very high safety demands and resulting certification requirements, the aeronautics industry needs significant capacity to test the different materials and components it produces. The SME has targeted two niches where the current testing capacity in Quebec is insufficient, and even non–existent: hydrogen embrittlement tests and composite materials tests. The aim of CED’s assistance is to enable the CMTB to acquire the required equipment and certifications to conduct these tests, as well as market these new services at major industry conferences.

“By investing in improved processes at the CMTB to meet the needs of aeronautics businesses, our government is following through on its commitments to build a stronger, more resilient, and more inclusive economy,” said Soraya Martinez Ferrada, Member of Parliament for Hochelaga and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion (Housing. “I would, in fact, like to highlight Mr. Ershad Fanaei’s remarkable tenacity; right in the middle of the pandemic, he risked everything to acquire the business and save its employees’ jobs. With his background as an immigrant and the entrepreneurial path he has chosen, he is a perfect example of our rich diversity and how it plays such an instrumental role in our country’s economic prosperity.”

Aerospace is a pillar of the economy and of innovation in Canada. It is one of the most research–intensive and export-focused manufacturing industries, employing over 230,000 highly qualified people across the country. The aerospace sector is essential to the economic development of communities and businesses from coast to coast to coast.

“I am very proud of the CMTB’s high-quality technical team,” said Amir Ershad Fanaei, CEO, Canadian Materials Testing Bureau Inc. “We will soon become one of Quebec’s top private laboratories offering metal and composite materials testing for the aeronautics industry. This new strategic capability will also enable homegrown businesses to no longer have to go outside Canada for NADCAP-accredited testing. These additional skills are the result of our strategic vision and will help support our growth in the coming years.”