Swenco receives $1.9M from feds for mask production

Swenco Ltd., a manufacturer and distributor of components for the safety footwear industry, is receiving $1.9 million from the federal government to expand its operations for the full-time production of COVID-19-related PPE.

The company has established a second Waterloo, Ont.-based facility dedicated to the full-time production of surgical face masks for domestic and international supply.

With this repayable investment from FedDev Ontario, Swenco has outfitted its new facility with a certified clean room and specialized manufacturing equipment for mask production.

As a result, Swenco will produce 7.6 million masks per month upon project completion, with more than 75 per cent of the masks to be sold domestically to aid Canada’s COVID-19 relief efforts and increase domestic production capacity. The company will add 24 new jobs, growing to 42 employees.

The company is also currently partnering with a Waterloo-based company to use melt-blown polypropylene nanofibre filtration material, which offers a higher level of filtration and comfort than traditional masks for use over longer periods of time.