Ontario invests nearly $12M in Windsor and Leamington manufacturers

The Ontario government is investing nearly $12 million through the province’s Regional Development Program (RDP) to support four companies in Southwestern Ontario. The companies, DS Actimo Canada, Kautex Textron, Integrity Tool & Mold and Highbury Canco are investing $125 million in total to expand their local manufacturing capacity in the automotive and food processing sectors.

The investments are expected to create 153 new jobs in Windsor and Leamington.

DS Actimo Canada (formerly DS C&K Inc.), a subsidiary of South Korea-based DSEV, is investing over $60 million to build a 107,000 square-foot facility in Windsor. This facility is the company’s first manufacturing plant in North America. The plant will manufacture battery cell module cases with wiring components for EV batteries, including those to be produced at NextStar Energy’s $5 billion EV battery manufacturing plant. The project is supported by $5 million in funding through the RDP and will create 96 new jobs.

Kautex Textron is a plastic fuel tank manufacturer in Windsor serving the automotive industry. With an investment of almost $23 million, the company is building a new battery skid plate manufacturing facility to produce battery casings for EVs using advanced composite materials. The project is supported by $1.5 million in funding through the RDP and will create 12 new jobs.

Integrity Tool & Mold supplies parts to a wide range of industries, including those in the automotive supply chain. With an investment of over $15.6 million, the company will adopt state-of-the-art technology at its new Windsor facility to increase its production capacity. The project is supported by over $2.3 million in funding through the RDP and will create 25 new jobs.

Highbury Canco produces a variety of food products, including pasta sauce, salsa and beans for large brands. With an investment of over $26.5 million, the company will modernize its facility and increase its processing and warehouse capacity. The project is supported by more than $3.1 million in funding through the RDP and will create 20 new jobs.

“Windsor and Leamington have a proud history of manufacturing excellence, and thanks to continued investment in the region, we are confident that our targeted approach to fostering stability and growth across our economy is working,” said Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. “As we position Ontario as one of the best jurisdictions in the world for companies to invest and grow, our government is proud to support local businesses as they expand and create new jobs in communities across the province.”