Government of Canada supports women-led dental care manufacturer

From: Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario

News release

FedDev Ontario invests $525,000 into Spa-Dent Inc. to meet the growing demand for its eco-friendly oral care products and create 10 jobs

March 8, 2024 – Cambridge, Ontario

When we build a more inclusive economy, we build a strong economy that works for everyone. The Government of Canada is dedicated to ensuring opportunity for all Canadians, including by investing in the tools that entrepreneurs need to grow their businesses to create good jobs for Canadians.

Today, on International Women’s Day, Valerie Bradford, Member of Parliament for Kitchener South–Hespeler, along with the Honourable Filomena Tassi, Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), announced an investment of $525,000 for woman-owned and -led Spa Dent Inc. (Spa Dent), to expand its presence in the eco-friendly oral care market.

Spa Dent has had a remarkable journey that began in Marcia Hilliard-Baird’s basement. The company has pushed the boundaries of natural oral care solutions, developing innovative products and services that have garnered national recognition. FedDev Ontario has been there to support Spa Dent on its journey with a previous investment of $100,000 through the Women Entrepreneurship Fund (WEF) to scale up and expand its operations by adding new equipment.

This new investment will support Spa Dent as it expands and diversifies three of its manufacturing lines so it can increase distribution in local and export markets. The company will also develop a new in-house testing lab to reduce lead times, improve quality control, and lower production costs. This will help Spa Dent meet the rising demand for its natural dental care alternatives in domestic and international markets and create 10 jobs in Cambridge.

On International Women’s Day, we celebrate the accomplishments that women entrepreneurs have made across Ontario. The countless women entrepreneurs across Canada make our country more competitive, grow our economy and create local jobs in our communities.

The Government of Canada remains committed to providing opportunities for all Canadians, especially women entrepreneurs, as they deliver innovative solutions to meet the evolving needs of Canadians and global markets.

Quotes

“On International Women’s Day, we celebrate the countless strong women-led companies in southern Ontario, like Spa Dent Inc., that impact our economy with their innovative products and services. Today’s investment reflects our commitment to supporting women-led businesses, fostering innovation, and ensuring opportunity for all Canadians."
– The Honourable Filomena Tassi, Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) 

"Today's announcement is a testament to the entrepreneurial spirit of Spa Dent Inc., driving advancements in natural oral care solutions. This investment not only supports the growth of a local, women-led business but it also creates jobs and economic prosperity in our community."
– Valerie Bradford, Member of Parliament for Kitchener South-Hespeler

“The support of FedDev Ontario was critical to this multi-year project and with improvements on our first line, we have already realized an 80 percent increase in shift outputs supporting contracts across Canada and the U.S. Our lab expansion will enable us to competitively produce our oral care products to support more contracts and create 10 new jobs for the region."
– Marcia Hilliard-Baird, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Spa Dent Inc. 

Quick facts

  • Established in 2009 and headquartered in Cambridge, Spa Dent Inc. is known for its innovative whitening system, which incorporates bio-based additives to address oral sensitivity issues. Its products are available at Fortinos, Jean Coutu, Well.ca, Healthy Planet, Walgreens, Rite Aid, Kroger, Amazon Costco, Today’s Shopping Choice, and more. 

  • In 2023, Spa Dent Inc. was named one of 100 “Game Changers: Leading Companies. Powered by Women,” in the Game Changers report, an initiative of Natural Products Canada (NPC), a national organization committed to identifying and supporting high-potential early-stage bio-based innovation. 

  • The Government of Canada believes in investing in the health of all Canadians, which is why the Canadian Dental Care Plan was launched in 2023. This initiative aims to alleviate financial barriers to accessing oral health care for eligible Canadian residents by covering a wide range of services. The plan supports maintaining healthy teeth and gums, as well as preventing and treating oral health issues and diseases.

  • Since 2015, FedDev Ontario has invested over $20 million in 45 projects across Cambridge, estimated to have created and maintained over 750 jobs. The Agency has invested over $900 million in more than 2,200 women-led projects/businesses.

Associated links

Contacts

Edward Hutchinson
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario
Edward.hutchinson@feddevontario.gc.ca

FedDev Ontario
Media Relations
feddevontariomediarelations-relationsmedias@feddevontario.gc.ca

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