Small manufacturers with leading technology, such as Belle River’s CNCTech.com, are prime examples of Ontario grant success stories, says Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development.
Article content
CNCTech.com Inc. may have just a dozen employees, but the Belle River tool and mold company is thriving with state-of-the-art automated manufacturing equipment.
Commercial
This ad has not been uploaded yet, but your article continues below.
Article content
“We are a small company, but on the higher end of technology,” explained Donny Butler, co-owner of CNCTech.com with his brother Kevin.
Based in Lakeshore, CNCTech.com uses state-of-the-art robot processes to design and build injection molds for a wide range of purposes. “Our primary focus is the electric car and consumer goods market,” Butler said.
For Ontario Minister of Economic Development Vic Fedeli, the Butler brothers’ business is an excellent example of the type of business that benefits from grants through the province’s Regional Development Program.
“Ontario is delighted to support the fantastic work they do here,” said Fedeli, who visited the CNCTech.com workshop on Tuesday.
“We are going to be building the next generation of vehicles here in Ontario, and today we are testing.”
Commercial
This ad has not been uploaded yet, but your article continues below.
Article content
According to Butler, a provincial contribution of $ 255,000 through the Southwestern Ontario Development Fund will help CNCTech.com with a $ 1.8 million expansion project to improve the company’s robot systems and increase production.
“It’s factory automation, continuous automation,” Butler said. “It is always working.”
Applying for the grant was a year-long process. Part of the grant eligibility requirements is that CNCTech.com create five new jobs.
Butler said his company previously benefited from a grant through the Ontario Automotive Modernization Program.
A Chatham-based manufacturing company, Onbelay Automotive Inc., is receiving similar help with provincial support, receiving $ 143,000 through the Southwest Ontario Development Fund.
Commercial
This ad has not been uploaded yet, but your article continues below.
Article content
“You’re going to hear a lot more,” Fedeli said, noting that the Doug Ford administration will make an announcement in the coming days about the next phase of Boosting Prosperity: Ontario’s 10-year plan to bolster its auto sector.
“Ontario’s auto sector is booming right now, from a manufacturing perspective,” Fedeli said. “We had $ 6 billion in investments announced by automakers in the last year. That is unprecedented in Ontario history. “
-
Windsor assembly plant to downshift second shift in 2022
-
Ford government urges Stellantis to return Windsor plant to full capacity
-
Global microchip shortage continues to cost Windsor-Essex car dealers millions
When asked what the Doug Ford administration is doing to address the loss of next year’s second shift at the Windsor assembly plant, cutting roughly 1,800 jobs, Fedeli said the government’s discussions with WAP owners, Stellantis, they are in progress.
Commercial
This ad has not been uploaded yet, but your article continues below.
Article content
Repeating an earlier statement from Ford, Fedeli said Ontario asked Stellantis to study the possibility of twinning its WAP operations with the company’s promised investment of $ 1.5 billion in the production of plug-in and hybrid electric vehicles by 2024.
“Get started earlier with the new plant,” said Fedeli. “That’s what we’ve asked them to do, basically.”
Stellantis has stated that one of the reasons WAP is reduced to one shift is the global shortage of microchips.
Fedeli said the province has been meeting with OEMs and parts manufacturers in a series of roundtables on how to boost the supply of microchips to Ontario.
“It is a global supply problem,” Fedeli said. “We are pushing hard for our OEMs to get the amount of chips they need.”
Reference-windsorstar.com