Four North Bay manufacturing companies that serve the mining industry are receiving $2.5 million in provincial funding, which is expected to grow the businesses and create 15 new jobs.
The Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corp. money was announced on Sept. 25 by Greg Rickford, minister of energy, Northern development and mines, and Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli.
"Supporting businesses and local manufacturing in North Bay will help create jobs and contribute to our economic recovery from the COVID-19 outbreak," Fedeli said in a news release.
"As the economy continues on its path to renewal, growth and economic recovery, our government recognizes the importance of keeping the North competitive by supporting Ontario manufacturing and their Ontario-made products."
The NOHFC investments include:
• $978,000 for Canadore College to purchase and install equipment at the Innovation Centre for Advanced Manufacturing and Prototyping (ICAMP), which will provide industry partners with access to state-of-the-art technologies, while helping local companies remain competitive and grow;
• $500,000 for Drillco Mining and Exploration to market its clean-tech modular drilling system by building two demonstration prototypes to showcase to prospective mining industry clients;
• $500,000 for Nordic Minesteel Technologies to help bring its battery-powered jack to market and prepare its facility for full-scale production. The jack will assist with heavy truck repair;
• $374,035 for Boart Longyear Canada to purchase and install new equipment and software to increase production of its wireline system, used by operators of oil and gas wells;
• $150,654 for Nordic Minesteel Technologies to design and build a smaller, mobile version of a remote-controlled, battery-powered jack for lifting large mining trucks.
