Ontario government announces investment in PPE manufacturing facility
by CM Staff
This plant will ensure a secure source of this critical piece of PPE for a stockpile and be a major supplier to other Canadian provinces and the North American market.
(valentinrussanov/Getty images)
LONDON – The Ontario government is helping to create a source of medical grade nitrile gloves by enabling the construction of a new 120,000-square-foot facility. The construction of this factory is made possible with the government’s investment and will reportedly see the creation of hundreds of jobs for London area workers.
Ontario has already secured a long-term supply of domestically produced N95 respirators and medical grade surgical masks, however nitrile gloves are the remaining major PPE category not produced in Ontario and have some of the greatest supply chain uncertainty. As the first manufacturing facility of nitrile gloves outside of Asia, this plant will ensure a secure source of this critical piece of PPE for a stockpile and be a major supplier to other Canadian provinces and the North American market.
“Building this nitrile glove manufacturing facility in London means we will be ready to respond to future emergencies without having to rely on uncertain foreign supply,” said Ross Romano, Minister of Government and Consumer Services. “On top of protecting the safety of Ontarians, we’re growing our economy by supporting domestic businesses and creating hundreds of good manufacturing jobs for our workers.”
Once the facility is fully operational, it is expected that the first Ontario-made medical grade nitrile glove will be available by spring of 2024. As part of its contract, Manikheir Canada Inc. will provide at least 500 million medical grade nitrile gloves annually for up to 10 years. The new facility and contract will further strengthen PPE supply chains in line with the government’s efforts to shore-up the domestic production and maintain a robust stockpile of critical supplies through the recently passed Personal Protective Equipment Supply and Production Act, 2022 (PPESPA).
Once fully operational, the facility is expected to employ over 145 people, with the ability to double this number as part of any future expansion. Additionally, it will create about 300 indirect jobs in the region and up to 1,000 temporary jobs during the construction and machinery set up phase.
A nitrile glove manufacturing facility in Ontario is important to ensuring a readily available stockpile of medical grade nitrile gloves. This is essential in the creation of new manufacturing capabilities, more local jobs, and a strengthened domestic supply chain as Ontario continues on its journey towards growth and economic recovery.
