Industry News News
B.C. invests over $1.2M in value-added manufacturing companies

The Government of B.C. is investing more than $1.2 million in a variety of expansion projects to help manufacturing companies grow and create well-paying, sustainable jobs across northern B.C. as follows:

• Terrace – Monster Industries Ltd. will receive as much as $466,000 to build a new fabrication facility and purchase a new crane that will help manufacture drying kilns for the forestry industry in B.C., which are essential for the production of value-added wood products, and will create seven new skilled positions;
• 150 Mile House – OT Timber Frames Ltd. will receive as much as $235,000 to scale up the production of pre-fabricated homes and expand product offerings to include insulation components, with expansion of the production facility and addition of two CNC machines. The funds will help create five new positions and maintain year-round employment for current staff;
• 100 Mile House – New Wave Docks Ltd. will receive as much as $300,000 to double manufacturing capacity and provide space to diversify production. This entails the construction of a new 14,000-square-foot steel-engineered building to house a large-scale roto-oven and aluminum fabrication shop in the same facility, and will create as many as 15 new jobs;
• Mackenzie – Conifex Mackenzie Forest Products Inc. will receive as much as $105,000 to optimize production and increase product quality by purchasing new equipment, allowing the company to remain competitive during lumber market fluctuations; and
• Vanderhoof – Bid Group Technologies Ltd. will receive as much as $100,000 to expand manufacturing capacity to keep production in-house instead of outsourcing it and optimize the parts-production process to drive efficiency.

“By empowering innovative ideas and investing in companies that value a clean, sustainable future, we are setting the stage for local economies to flourish,” said Brenda Bailey, minister of jobs, economic development and innovation. “The projects we’re supporting through the BC Manufacturing Jobs Fund (BCMJF) will create stability for workers and their families throughout the province by keeping good-paying jobs in the communities they call home.”

The BCMJF supports for-profit organizations to plan and launch shovel-ready, high-value industrial and manufacturing projects that bring direct benefits and stable, family-supporting jobs to communities, while driving clean and inclusive growth throughout the province.

“Manufacturing facilities and workers are often the backbones of their communities, especially in rural and remote areas,” said Bruce Ralston, minister of forests. “Investing in the growth of a wood-manufacturing company means investing in a community and its people. These five projects from the BCMJF support the growth of these wood-manufacturing companies making more local high-quality wood products and creating the next generation of forestry jobs.”

Funding through the BCMJF is part of a series of programs the province has introduced to support the growth of value-added manufacturing in B.C. In January 2023, the Ministry of Forests introduced a new value-added manufacturing program to establish a dedicated fibre supply for small and medium-sized manufacturers. The province is working with the value-added manufacturing sector to increase the flow of fibre and find ways to expand local production of high-value wood products. A strong value-added manufacturing industry diversifies the forestry sector, buffering against global market challenges.