Groundbreaking for new $45 million plant in Strathroy
The Middlesex County community of Strathroy-Caradoc is celebrating its latest industrial milestone.
Quebec-based Norbec broke ground on a $45 million manufacturing facility in the community Thursday.
Norbec President Jan Lembregts says the company chose Strathroy from among 100 potential sites in Canada and the United States.
“Strathroy came out on top for several reasons,” said Lembregts. “First of all, the location. We wanted to have good access to the GTA and the Ontario market, and also good access to the Midwest, Michigan and Ohio. So southwestern Ontario for us is really good. We also really liked to operate in a rural market because we need space. And we also liked the environment.”
Located in an industrial park near Highway 402, the new Norbec facility will manufacture insulated metal panels for walk-in coolers and freezers used in grocery stores, food service, and other settings.
Strathroy-Caradoc Mayor Colin Grantham says landing the facility was the result of the community becoming more aggressive in chasing economic opportunities.
“I’d love to put a sign out on the 402, ‘Strathroy is open for business.’ I think people will find we’re going to be a little more aggressive,” said Grantham. “We have been, but we need to be more aggressive in attracting business to this community.”
Middlesex County Warden Cathy Burghardt-Jesson says this is just the beginning of industrial expansion in the area.
“The product that they manufacture will not only be sold across Canada and the United States, but globally as well. So this is a real footprint, and a real mark for Southwest Caradoc, for Middlesex County, and perhaps maybe it’s the start of other investments and other companies.”
The plant will begin producing panels in spring of next year, with an official opening expected next summer. It will start with 70 employees.
It will be 150-thousand square feet in size, and is considered state of the art.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trudeau's 2024: Did the PM become less popular this year?
Justin Trudeau’s numbers have been relatively steady this calendar year, but they've also been at their worst, according to tracking data from CTV News pollster Nik Nanos.
Manhunt underway after woman, 23, allegedly kidnapped, found alive in river
A woman in her 20s who was possibly abducted by her ex is in hospital after the car she was in plunged into the Richelieu River.
Calling all bloodhounds: These P.E.I. blood donors have four legs and a tail
Dogs are donating blood and saving the lives of canines at the University of Prince Edward Island's Atlantic Veterinary College in Charlottetown.
Summer McIntosh makes guest appearance in 'The Nutcracker'
Summer McIntosh made a splash during her guest appearance in The National Ballet of Canada’s production of 'The Nutcracker.'
Death toll in attack on Christmas market in Germany rises to 5 and more than 200 injured
Germans on Saturday mourned both the victims and their shaken sense of security after a Saudi doctor intentionally drove into a Christmas market teeming with holiday shoppers, killing at least five people, including a small child, and wounding at least 200 others.
Wild boar hybrid identified near Fort Macleod, Alta.
Acting on information, an investigation by the Municipal District of Willow Creek's Agricultural Services Board (ASB) found a small population of wild boar hybrids being farmed near Fort Macleod.
Toronto firefighters rescue man who fell into sinkhole in Yorkville
A man who fell into a sinkhole in Yorkville on a snowy Friday night in Toronto has been rescued after being stuck in the ground for roughly half an hour.
Winning $20-million Lotto Max ticket sold in Hamilton
Someone who purchased a Lotto Max ticket in Hamilton for Friday night’s draw is now $20-million richer.
Overheated immigration system needed 'discipline' infusion: minister
An 'overheated' immigration system that admitted record numbers of newcomers to the country has harmed Canada's decades-old consensus on the benefits of immigration, Immigration Minister Marc Miller said, as he reflected on the changes in his department in a year-end interview.