A French industrial group has expanded by acquiring a Petrolia company.
Kinell Canada, part of the Fétis Group, has opened its first North American facility, after purchasing DINTEC in the town's industrial park at 260 Centre Street.
General Manager Mike Bos said Kinell is a global innovation partner to manufacturers in the off-highway, special vehicle, marine, and distributed energy sectors.
“Kinell’s expansion into North America represents a key step in the company’s journey to provide a comprehensive ecosystem of solutions for electrification and system automation,” said Bos. “Our commitment to innovation will help equipment manufacturers in North America accelerate their development of next-generation machines and systems. This new facility also represents an exciting opportunity to create local jobs and contribute to the growth of Lambton County.”
Sarnia-Lambton Economic Partnership CEO Matthew Slotwinski called the acquisition 'a significant opportunity for the municipality.'
"What we have here is a business that's looking to grow locally, and access North American markets from this new location," said Slotwinski. "The company itself brings together a whole variety of different services to the area, specializing in the design and manufacturing of wire harnesses, cables and box builds for mobile equipment."
The 50,000 square foot building is located on over 14 acres.
"Presently the operation has nine full time employees and 10 temporary workers. Their expectation is to create 15 new jobs within the first year of this operation being underway," Slotwinski said. "This is a great opportunity for Petrolia to further strengthen its position within the manufacturing space. Leveraging and utilizing a building that is exactly for a company like Kinell Canada. We're glad to see them come to Lambton County and we think they'll fit in very well with our industrial manufacturing space."
Petrolia Mayor Brad Loosley is also pleased to welcome the Kinell to the community.
“The addition of this new facility strengthens our town’s manufacturing sector and brings new opportunities for our residents. We look forward to seeing their continued success in our community," said Loosley.
As part of the French industrial Fétis Group, Kinell is promoted as a company that supports the transition toward low-carbon and autonomous technologies.
With operations in France, Germany, Spain, and now Canada, the company said it brings over 20 years of experience in successfully supporting OEMs [original equipment manufacturers] across Europe in accelerating innovation, reducing their environmental footprint, and boosting system performance.