70-job factory set to open, adding to London region’s industrial growth

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A Quebec-based company’s new $45-million manufacturing facility in Strathroy will add 70 full-time jobs and have a “huge impact on the community,” one official says.

Norbec, a manufacturer of insulated metal panels, is expanding the company’s footprint into Ontario by opening its 14,492-square-metre (156,000-square-feet) plant on nine hectares of industrial land in Strathroy on Wednesday. The top economic official for the town of 24,000 sees plenty of room for growth.

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“The 70 jobs, of course, are important, but I think the ability for this company to grow within the community is also more important,” said Heather Lalonde, Strathroy’s economic development commissioner.

“It affects the retail sector, it affects the housing sector, it affects every sector, and in a hugely positive way.”

Officials with Norbec – which also manufactures walk-in coolers and freezers – echoed Lalonde’s sentiments about bringing prosperity to the region, saying in a statement the plant would bring “meaningful jobs and economic growth to Strathroy and beyond.”

The new plant at 990 Wright St. will employ a variety of positions such as plant managers, production operators, engineers and maintenance staff, according to the company statement. The Strathroy facility marks Norbec’s first foray into Ontario with the company’s other two manufacturing facilities located in Quebec.

“With its proximity to London and Sarnia, this new plant will establish Norbec as a go-to local supplier in Ontario and help establish Middlesex County as a leader in specialized architectural manufacturing,” Norbec president Jan Lembregts said in a statement.

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Insulated metal panels are used as cladding for walls and roofs in commercial and industrial buildings. The company produces the panels for diverse markets like refrigerated warehouses and food processing plants.

Lalonde said the municipality keeps in close contact with local manufacturers “to have our finger on the pulse of where they’re going and how we can work to perhaps complement their industry in Strathroy.”

Lalonde said also that Strathroy wants to be tactical about its growth to have a “diverse economy in Strathroy, so we’re not a single sector town,” adding that other communities have been impacted by closures in the manufacturing sector.

The company’s arrival in Strathroy underscores the London region’s manufacturing boom.

Volkswagen’s highly anticipated $7-billion electric vehicle battery plant in St. Thomas will employ 3,000 workers when it is expected to open in 2027.

Just last month, The Free Press reported more than 200 industrial jobs will be added to London’s workforce after three manufacturers bought land in the city with plans to build new plants. Only Maple Armor Group, which makes residential, commercial and industrial alarm systems, was named while the two others didn’t want to be identified.

bwilliams@postmedia.com
@BrianWatLFPress

The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada

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