Four Ontario manufacturers invest $23M in plant expansion projects

Dec. 29, 2017 – The Ontario government is partnering with Atwood Heritage Processing Inc., C.R. Plastic Products Inc., FIO Automotive Canada and Hayashi Canada Inc. to help create 71 new jobs and retain 610 existing positions in Stratford and Perth County.

The province has set aside $2.6 million from the Southwestern Ontario Development Fund, furthering the company investments of more than $23 million.

Atwood Heritage Processing Inc., in Atwood, is a meat processing company specializing in ready-to-eat dry cured meats. It has two product lines – a dry cured fermented summer sausage and pepperettes. With $140,850 from the Southwestern Ontario Development Fund, Atwood Heritage Processing will build a new 6,800-square-foot plant and purchase new production equipment, helping to double the company’s annual production and provide new services to its customers, including an online store. The new site will create 10 new jobs and be complete by fall 2020.

C.R. Plastic Products Inc., in Stratford, produces outdoor furniture made from up to 100 per cent recycled plastic. It will spend $5.2 million as well as $785,139 from the province to buy new equipment, including a proprietary robotic assembly line. The project will add 12 new jobs from December 2019, says the company.

FIO Automotive Canada Corporation, a subsidiary of Futaba Industrial Company Ltd. of Japan, is an automotive body parts supplier. It operates a manufacturing plant in Stratford that makes stamped metal parts and welded assemblies exclusively for the Toyota group. The company is spending $8.8 million, plus $980,000 from the Ontario government to buy automated guided vehicles to transport materials and is installing automated welding equipment. The project will create 35 new jobs, help retain 310 existing positions and is expected to be completed by March 2019.

Hayashi Canada Inc., a subsidiary of Hayashi Telempu North America Corporation, is an automotive parts manufacturer that supplies interior trim parts to Toyota and Honda. The province will invest $662,170 from the Southwestern Ontario Development Fund, supporting an additional investment of $7.6 million from Hayashi Canada. The project will create 14 jobs, help retain 146 existing positions and is expected to be completed in March 2021.