Ontario invests in protective equipment made in Mississauga

The Ontario Together Fund is offering $75,000 in support to Guide Woodworking for building a new machining centre. These funds will be part of the nearly $300,000 that Guide Woodworking is investing to build the new centre at its Mississauga facilities. With this investment, the company will have the capacity to design and produce around 500 acrylic protective barriers every month for workplaces.

Ontario has invested an additional $50 million in the renewed Ontario Together Fund in 2021–22 to be able to support innovative initiatives like the one Guide Woodworking is working on. According to a statement released by the Ontario government, the fund will be used to support local innovators and businesses. This will help in enhancing the province’s domestic supply chain capacity, promoting Ontario’s MedTech ecosystem and building up its manufacturing sector to face future challenges.

The renewed fund supports homegrown manufacturing and innovation that can aid in combatting COVID-19 and providing goods that are essential to the health, safety, and security of Ontarians beyond this pandemic.

“Through the Ontario Together Fund, our government is making targeted investments in domestic manufacturers with the ideas and solutions to help us through this pandemic,” said Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. “Guide Woodworking and their new capacity to make acrylic protective barriers is another example of Ontario innovation at its very best. Ontario manufacturers continue to enhance our resilience to any challenge while strengthening our economy.”

A family-owned and operated manufacturing business, Guide Woodworking supplying, manufacturing and installing architectural millwork solutions.

“As a small to medium-size manufacturer in Ontario, it is vital that we pursue cutting-edge technology and effective processes through investment in our production development. The COVID-19 pandemic applied a very difficult strain on our business, and we are grateful for the Government of Ontario’s initiative regarding the Ontario Together Fund with respect to helping businesses like ours rise to the occasion,” said Bass Jubran, operations manager at Guide Woodworking. “By partnering with them through this program, we were able to upgrade our establishment to more efficiently deliver the products that are needed today, namely increasing our ability and capacity to manufacture the types of components and protective barriers that people rely on.”

“This funding is a true testament to our government’s commitment to help local businesses support the community,” said Deepak Anand, MPP for Mississauga-Malton. “Thank you to Mississauga-Malton businesses for stepping up during COVID-19 and showcasing the Ontario Spirit. This investment will be used to produce Made-In-Ontario goods and protect Ontario families during this critical time.”