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Sault Ste. Marie, ON – A key part of Canada’s economic recovery is supporting businesses as they adapt, grow, and move forward from the COVID-19 pandemic. To do so, businesses and entrepreneurs need a strong foundation, built on green technological innovation, inclusivity and clean growth to create the workforce of the future.
Terry Sheehan, Member of Parliament for Sault Ste. Marie and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Labour, announced a FedNor investment of $168,802 in SK Group Inc, a leading promotional branding solutions company in Northern Ontario, to expand its operations, support new job creation, and grow the region’s economy.
The announcement was made on behalf of the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Indigenous Services and Minister responsible for FedNor.
Thanks to funding provided through FedNor’s Jobs and Growth Fund (JGF), SK Group Inc, a woman-owned and led branding solutions company, will purchase and install a state-of-the-art direct to garment machine (DTG), expand its facility to accommodate the new equipment, and hire and train staff to operate the DTG.
The DTG will decrease wait times between customers ordering and receiving products, increase order volume, allow the SK Group to add an online designer function to assist customers design their own products, and reduce water consumption in manufacturing. This project will create seven new full-time jobs and support the transition to a green economy through water savings.
“The FedNor funds announced today will help create new economic benefits for Sault Ste. Marie and beyond. Supporting our industry leaders helps keep our economy on the leading edge. Through this collaboration, we are helping create new jobs and new growth in the Algoma district while fostering new opportunities for Northern Ontario.” - Terry Sheehan, Member of Parliament for Sault Ste Marie and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Labour
“The FedNor support announced today will help us remain at the forefront of imprinted apparel technology. We are proud to represent Sault Ste. Marie as an industry leader and look forward to another 30 years of supporting our region and Canadians everywhere.” - Sherry Berlinghoff, President of SK Group Inc.
The Jobs and Growth Fund (JGF) is a $700-million fund delivered by the regional development agencies (RDAs) to help businesses and the organizations who support them to future-proof, build resiliency and prepare for growth by transitioning to a green economy, foster an inclusive recovery, enhance competitiveness and create jobs. Of this support, $70 million has been dedicated to businesses and organizations created after January 2020. FedNor has delivered more than $15.5 million through the JGF across Northern Ontario to date.
Since its inception in 1994, SK Group Inc. has grown to become one of Northern Ontario's largest promotional branding solutions companies. Services have expanded from simple embroidery to screen printing, full colour heat pressed digital applications, copy and print services, as well as wide-format printing.
