The government of Ontario recently announced it is collaborating with three Niagara Region manufacturers to secure $65 million in economic investments by those companies. Photo Credit: Vic Fedeli/Twitter.
The government of Ontario recently announced it is collaborating with three Niagara Region manufacturers to secure $65 million in economic investments by those companies. Ontario taxpayers will be on the hook for $6.7 million, which the government says was necessary to secure the additional investment.
The three investments outlined by the government will create 46 new jobs, according to its news release.
The three companies receiving taxpayer dollars include Stanpac Inc., AMSI Inc. and St. David’s Cold Storage.
The announcement was jointly made by Minister of Economic Development Vic Fedeli and Niagara West Member of Provincial Parliament Sam Oosterhoff.
“The Niagara Region 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 Fedeli. “Our government is proud to support local businesses as they expand and create new jobs in communities across the province.”
Stanpac manufactures food and beverage packaging for businesses worldwide. The Ford government says Stanpac will spend $35 million to enhance its equipment, robotics, and make other upgrades. Stanpac’s facility is in Smithville. The government plans to give Stanpac $3.3 million through the province’s Regional Development Program fund.
Stanpac has been manufacturing dairy and beverage packaging since 1949. It does business in North America and around the world. The business originally started out making milk bottle closures but has since expanded into packaging for ice cream, fluid milk, wine and spirits and food service.
AMSI designs and constructs e-houses, which are prefabricated buildings that house electrical equipment for a whole host of industries, including power generation, mining, hydro, oil and gas and more. Under its agreement with the Ford government, AMSI will spend $20 million to construct a new manufacturing facility in Lincoln. The province will contribute $2.1 million through its Regional Development Program Fund.
AMSI has been in business for more than 60 years and works with clients like General Electric Grid Solutions, Hydro One and Siemens. The company is based in St. Catharines but its new facility will be in Lincoln near Beamsville.
Finally, St. David’s Cold Storage will receive $1.3 million from the Ford government and will in turn spend $9 million to expand its refrigerated storage space. The company is primarily known for its cold, freezer and ambient storage solutions for food and beverage manufacturers.
St. David’s Cold Storage is based in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Its facility stores and handles a wide variety of products, including meat, seafood, fruit, baked goods and packaging products.
Alfred Dyck, President of St. David’s Cold Storage, told The Niagara Independent that the government investment will allow his company to expand its 64,000 square foot storage facility into a 130,000 square foot facility, possibly by the end of the year. Dyck also expects to potentially double the size of his staff.
Oosterhoff touted the impact the government’s investment will have in the Niagara Region’s manufacturing sector.
“Niagara has long been a manufacturing powerhouse, employing tens of thousands of people in the automotive, paper, steel, hydroelectric and food processing sectors,” said 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.”
The taxpayer dollars being given to Stanpac, AMSI and St. David’s Cold Storage come from the province’s Regional Development Program for eastern and southwestern Ontario, which was launched in the fall of 2019.
