An investment announcement by the provincial government has indicated that Windsor-Essex is open and ready for manufacturing.
Four local companies will expand their facilities, thanks to $12-million in funding from Queens Park's Regional Development Program (RDP). These investments will help support $125-million in improvements for the four firms.
Ontario Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade Vic Fedeli was at DS Actimo Canada Thursday morning, a subsidiary of the South Korean firm DSEV. That company is putting $60-million into a 107,000-square-foot facility that will create battery cell module cases for the upcoming NextStar EV battery plant.
Fedeli said investments such as these have shown the rest of Canada that Windsor is the place to be as the automotive industry moves to the next level of electric vehicle production.
"We know that one of the greatest strengths is the talent, with ingenuity, with innovation, that's found in all automotive manufacturers, all of whom provide great-paying jobs for thousands of men and women, all across the region," said Fedeli.
Fedeli also added that DS Actimo's Windsor facility is its first in North America, and 96 new jobs will be added.
The company's share of RDP funding comes to $5-million.
Fedeli was joined Thursday by DS Actimo CEO Chunbok Choi, Windsor-Tecumseh MPP Andrew Dowie, and Windsor Ward 9 Councillor Kieran McKenzie.
The other investments announced Thursday include the following.
Kautex Textron, a Windsor-based plastic fuel tank manufacturer, and the only facility of its kind in Canada, is investing $23-million into building a new battery skid plate manufacturing facility, which will create battery casings for EVs using advanced composite materials. The investment will bring in 12 new jobs, and the province's investment is $1.5-million.
Integrity Tool and Mold Inc., a Windsor facility that provides parts to a range of industries, will invest over $15.6-million into technology that will increase production capacity. Its share of RDP funding is $2.3-million and will create 25 new jobs.
Highbury Canco in Leamington, which produces pasta sauce, beans, and salsa for large companies, will invest $26.5-million to modernize its plant and increase capacity for production and warehousing. 20 new jobs will be created, and the expansion will be supported by $3.1-million in RDP funding.
The next intake round of RDP funding opened on Thursday. Complete information for companies looking for support can be found on the province of Ontario's official website.