NEWS RELEASE
ANDREA KHANJIN, BARRIE-INNISFIL MPP
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The Ontario government is supporting an investment of more than $2 million by SBS Drivetec to boost local manufacturing and create eight new good-paying jobs while retaining 35 jobs.
As part of this investment, the government is providing SBS Drivetec with $300,000 in funding through the Regional Development Program’s Advanced Manufacturing and Innovation Competitiveness Stream.
This funding was announced today (April 28) by Andrea Khanjin, Member of Provincial Parliament for Barrie-Innisfil.
“Our government is building a strong Ontario and strengthening the economy by supporting key investments in communities like Barrie,” said MPP Andrea Khanjin. “SBS Drivetec’s investment will grow local manufacturing and create better-paying jobs for workers and families in Simcoe County.”
SBS Drivetec is investing $2 million to replace manual manufacturing processes with fully automated solutions. Formerly offline and delicate manual processes will be now integrated into an automated assembly line concept. These processes require a high level of precision, cleanliness and repetition.
The automated solutions will enhance process control and all of the data collection to reduce the amount of scrap by 75 per cent and provide better quality products for the direct customer and end-user. Implementing the new assembly line concept will result in achieving world-class quality products, which is critical for improving the company’s competitive edge in the increasingly demanding automotive industry.
Investing in an automated assembly line for actuators is a strategic modernization project aimed at fostering future growth and expanding into new export markets in Asia. With increased capacity, the company plans to move more production from Germany to Canada for its North American customers. The proposed expenditures on equipment include an automated motor press cell, a fully automated assembly cell and an automated product tester. The project will create eight new jobs, and upskill three.
“We are pleased with the continued support of the Ontario Government and their commitment to investing in the manufacturing sector” said Fabian Burger, Member of Executive Management at BURGER Group. “Our business continues to grow and almost doubled last year. Thanks to Advanced Manufacturing Technology we are competitive on the global market and ship our Actuator solutions to Canada, USA, Mexico, China and Germany. We are proud of our competent employees and continue to train and promote new skills internally and in cooperation with the local College.”
Ontario is investing more than $100 million through the Regional Development Program from 2019 to 2023 to strengthen the advanced manufacturing sector and help meet regional needs. The program provides cost-shared funding to businesses, municipalities and economic development organizations to help local communities attract investment, diversify their economies, and create jobs.
Since 2019, Ontario has provided more than $81 million in support of 75 projects through the Regional Development Program, leveraging more than $860 million in new investments and helping to create more than 1,490 jobs in the province.
“Our government is proud to support local manufacturers across the province as they grow and create more good-paying jobs in their communities,” said Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. “Investing in these types of community-building projects will help us continue to build Ontario and strengthen the economy. We thank SBS Drivetec for making a significant impact in their community and for contributing to our province’s dynamic and growing manufacturing sector.”
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