Granby, Quebec, April 13, 2007 The
Honourable Jean-Pierre Blackburn, Minister of Labour and Minister of
Canada Economic Development, today announced the awarding of
$2,879,150 in total funding to two Granby-based special textile
manufacturers under the Canadian Textiles Program.
A first repayable contribution of $1,190,800 will go to Stedfast Inc., a
firm specializing in the production of special fabrics for use in the
manufacture of, among other things, protective wear (e.g. firefighters' gear), military items (e.g. heat-sealable tents),
hospital supplies (e.g. absorbent fabrics for operating room use) and
industrial products (e.g. waterproof aprons for fishery workers).
"Since setting up its research and development division in 1988, Stedfast has
proven that Quebec manufacturers, especially those operating in the textile
sector, can make the leap from traditional to high value-added products and
stand up to foreign competition. This support from Canada's new government
will help Stedfast continue along this path and thrive on the
North American and South American markets, among others," stated
Minister Blackburn.
The Stedfast factory in Granby will use this funding to purchase new
manufacturing equipment, reconfigure its facilities, implement a
Material Requirements Planning (MRP) system, put a new marketing
strategy into force and develop a variety of employee training tools.
Once completed, the Stedfast project will result in the consolidation of the
90 permanent jobs currently in existence at the Granby plant as well as the
creation of 14 new positions.
Produits Belt-Tech, for its part, will receive $1,688,350 in total
funding for four projects aimed at strengthening the firm's position as a
leader in the design and manufacture of nylon and polyester belts used, most
notably, in the production of car seat belts, webbing for air bags, straps for
cargo nets used in military air drop operations and webbing for safety
harnesses.
This funding consists of four separate contributions, including
two repayable amounts of $750,000 and $738,350, respectively, for the
acquisition of a fabric dyeing machine and the implementation of a lean
production cell. In addition, the firm will receive two non-repayable
contributions of $100,000 each to conduct a study on its processing times and
business costs and to adopt and implement a Kaizen continuous improvement
strategy.
"Belt-Tech looks to be in a good position to capitalize on the growth of the
auto safety market. Its ISO/TS 16949-2002 certification, an undeniable
competitive asset, has already allowed the company to secure a 12% share of the
North American safety belt market. This funding from Canada's new
government will help Belt-Tech strengthen its productivity, improve the quality
of its products and become the key supplier for car manufacturers, particularly
in Japan. This support will also help consolidate the 127 jobs already in
existence and create 13 new positions within the enterprise,"
Minister Blackburn concluded.
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Sources:
Hélène St-PierreCommunicationsCanada Economic
DevelopmentTel.: 514-283-2583Cell.: 514-966-0661E-mail: helene.st-pierre@dec-ced.gc.ca
Roxane MarchandPress SecretaryOffice of the Honourable Jean-Pierre
BlackburnCanada Economic Development
Tel.: 819-953-5646Cell.: 613-816-5094E-mail: roxane.marchand@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca
