Four Ontario manufacturers spending $23M to expand Stratford-area plants
by Canadian Manufacturing.com Staff
The scale-up projects will create 71 jobs at auto parts, furniture and food processing companies in southwest Ontario
STRATFORD, Ont.—Four manufacturers based in Stratford, Ont. and the surrounding area are expanding their operations with help from the provincial government.
The province has set aside approximately $2.6 million from the Southwestern Ontario Development Fund for the projects. The scale-up work is expected to create 71 new jobs in and around Stratford, as well as spur further company investments of more than $23 million.
The four manufacturers to receive funding:
FIO Automotive Canada Corp., a Stratford-based subsidiary of Japan’s Futaba Industrial Company Ltd. that makes auto body parts exclusively for Toyota. The company is spending $8.8 million, plus $980,000 from the Ontario government to buy new automated guide vehicles used to transport materials and installing new automated welding equipment. The work is expected to be complete by March 2019 and will create 35 new jobs.
Another auto parts manufacturer, Hayashi Canada Inc., plans to spend $7.6 million to expand its manufacturing plant in Stratford. The subsidiary of Hayashi Telempu North America Corp. supplies Honda and Toyota. The province is supporting the project with $662,170 in funding. The expansion is expected to wrap up by 2021 and will ad 14 new jobs.
C.R. Plastic Products Inc., a manufacturer of outdoor furniture made from recycled plastic, is spending $5.2 million as well as $785,139 from the province to buy new equipment for its Stratford facility. The expansion includes the purchase of a robotic assembly line and is expected to add 12 new jobs by December of 2019.
Lastly, a cured meat processing firm based in Atwood—north of Stratford— will get $140,850 from the Ontario government to put toward a $1.4 million expansion project. Atwood Heritage Processing Inc. is building a new 6,800 sq. ft. production facility that will double its current production of fermented summer sausage and pepperettes. The new site will create 10 new jobs and be complete by fall 2020.
