Concast Pipe Inc., a supplier of precast concrete products, is investing $44 million in a new manufacturing plant in Oakville, the Ontario government says, a project within easy commuting distance of Burlington.
The company is bringing production of telecommunications boxes home from the United States. The province says that will create 15 new jobs and protect 186 existing ones.
The plant will make composite enclosure boxes, the sturdy cases that shield telecom equipment for high-speed internet networks and 5G expansion. At 100,000 square feet, it will be the first facility of its kind in Ontario, according to the province.
Ontario put $5 million toward the project through the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Competitiveness stream, part of the province's Regional Development Program. Premier Doug Ford said the investment will help Concast "bring advanced manufacturing operations back to Ontario and support 200 local jobs."
Vic Fedeli, Ontario's Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, said the government is backing "a company that is strengthening our domestic supply chain and positioning the province for lasting economic success."
Concast joins a long list. The province says it has announced more than $60 million through the same stream for more than 55 companies and organizations, drawing $700 million in industry investment and creating more than 1,300 jobs.
Burlington manufacturers have landed government money this year too. On July 27, FedDev Ontario, the federal agency that funds economic development in southern Ontario, announced $7.5 million for three Burlington businesses. PV Labs, which makes aerial stabilization and imaging systems, got $5 million toward a $14-million expansion through the Regional Defence Investment Initiative, and Modern Elevator Innovations got $1 million through the Regional Tariff Response Initiative to upgrade its facility.
| Company | City | Project cost | Government support |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concast Pipe | Oakville | $44 million | $5 million (Ontario) |
| PV Labs | Burlington | $14 million | $5 million (federal) |
| Modern Elevator Innovations | Burlington | Not given | $1 million (federal) |
In August, SEKISUI Canada Modular Solutions, a subsidiary of Japan-based SEKISUI Chemical, announced it was expanding its manufacturing and operations in Burlington.
