New manufacturing jobs coming to Lower Mainland

Press Release

Sept. 13, 2024

VANCOUVER – New support for manufacturing businesses in the Lower Mainland will create jobs and promote the development of made-in-B.C. products while strengthening local economies and communities.

“We’re taking action by working with local manufacturers who are incorporating innovation to expand their product lines, so they can remain competitive and keep creating sustainable jobs,” said Brenda Bailey, Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation. “We will continue partnering with home-grown companies to drive real, positive, forward-looking change that fuels growth and opportunity in communities throughout our province.”

Through the BC Manufacturing Jobs Fund (BCMJF), the Government of B.C. is contributing as much as $7.2 million toward six capital projects and two planning projects in the Lower Mainland. These projects will help local manufacturers remain competitive by strengthening local supply chains, implementing new, advanced manufacturing equipment and technology to create new product lines to diversify their operations, while establishing new, skilled jobs for local workers.

“From mining, forestry, and the construction and marine sectors to biomanufacturing, glass fabrication and the food industry, these projects showcase the cutting-edge ideas and innovation being advanced by people and businesses in British Columbia,” said Josie Osborne, Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation. “Our government’s support for innovation in the manufacturing sector is helping B.C. companies advance their technologies and build their businesses, creating good jobs and new opportunities for people in communities around our province.”

Vancouver-based pH7 Technologies Inc. is a clean-tech company that has developed an innovative process for extracting and refining critical metals, including platinum group metals, to support the transition to renewable energy in an environmentally and economically sustainable manner. Its closed-loop process leverages organic, inorganic and electrochemical methods to minimize the environmental impact of mining and recycling critical metals with no toxic emissions, waste water or effluents, and reduced energy consumption. This approach enables efficient metal extraction that is often uneconomical or unfeasible with traditional pyro- or hydro-metallurgical methods.

The company is receiving as much as $1.5 million to construct a full production plant and purchase new equipment to scale up to full commercialization, while creating 20 jobs. This project builds on the $850,000-funding awarded in 2023 through the Province’s Innovative Clean Energy fund, which supported pH7’s product development and pilot plant.

“pH7 Technologies’ rapid growth from lab to our new industrial-scale plant in Burnaby was fueled by our entire talented team,” said Mohammad Doostmohammadi, CEO, pH7 Technologies Inc. “The BC Manufacturing Jobs Fund support is further expanding our capacity to create even more jobs for British Columbians and cleanly refine critical metals crucial to the global transition to electrification and green energy.”

Ideal Gear and Machine Works Inc. is a Delta-based manufacturer that produces custom-made gears used in machinery for forestry, marine and mining equipment, and transmission systems for hydroelectric power. It will receive as much as $2.4 million toward upgrading to advanced manufacturing equipment at its current facility that will decrease reliance on manual processes and improve production time and precision. The increased capacity will allow the company to expand production to meet demand within industry and build a more resilient supply chain. The project will create 25 jobs, most of which are skilled positions targeting recent machining graduates to help promote youth to enter the sector.

“The fund supports our investments in advanced manufacturing machinery, which will expand our capabilities to meet rising demand, achieve unparalleled precision and become leaders in North America,” said Carmen Ma, site controller, Ideal Gear and Machine Works Inc. “The funding helps create more skilled labor within our community, further reinforcing our Province’s dedication to strengthening and innovating the B.C. manufacturing sector.”

Clean and Competitive: A Blueprint for B.C.’s Industrial Future lays out the Province’s work to drive new investment, create new jobs and seize new opportunities in growing clean-energy and sustainable industries. Supporting local manufacturing sectors helps leverage B.C.’s strengths to create good jobs and opportunities in every community and will improve the quality of life for people, while strengthening B.C.’s diverse economy.

Quick Facts:

The BCMJF supports high-value industrial and manufacturing capital projects in all sectors that will create and protect well-paying jobs.
The BCMJF has committed as much as $123 million toward 112 projects, representing $1 billion in total capital investment in B.C.
Every $1 million invested results in $7 million in total direct capital investments in B.C., $590,000 in tax revenue to the Province and $5.3 million in provincial gross domestic product (GDP).
Funded projects will create more than 1,700 jobs and protect more than 2,300 jobs.

Learn More:

To learn about the BC Manufacturing Jobs Fund, including a list of recipients and updated application deadline information, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/employment-business/economic-development/support-organizations-community-partners/rural-economic-development/manufacturing-jobs-fund

To learn more about Clean and Competitive: A Blueprint for B.C.’s Industrial Future, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/Clean_and_Competitive.pdf

Two backgrounders follow.

Contact:

Ministry of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation
Media Relations
250 883-2068

BACKGROUNDER 1

More Lower Mainland-based manufacturers receiving funds from the BC Manufacturing Jobs Fund:

• North Vancouver – Vancouver Drydock Company Ltd. is an integral part of the marine and port sector and provides maintenance, overhaul and repair for both government and commercial customers. It is receiving as much as $1.6 million to repair and expand an existing drydock, purchase a new floating drydock and construct an operations building. These upgrades will increase capacity to allow the servicing of larger or multiple ships, helping to support essential provincial services, such as BC Ferries and Coast Guard operations. This project will create 75 manufacturing jobs in the marine industry.

• Burnaby – Garibaldi Glass Industries Inc. is a custom glass fabricator that creates glass used in the commercial, residential and industrial sectors. It is receiving as much as $865,000 toward adding a new production line and supporting equipment that will enable Garibaldi to manufacture industry-leading quality and oversized insulated glass units for commercial and residential developers, helping to broaden market reach and stay competitive in the North American market. The project will create 32 full-time jobs.

• Richmond – Saint Germain Bakery produces baked goods, which are sold at its retail stores across Canada and the U.S. and to wholesale distributors supplying goods to commercial airlines, hotels and other retailers. It is receiving as much as $420,000 for its capital project to add automated processing lines and AI-capable equipment that will significantly increase production, while creating as many as six jobs.

• Langley – Weldco-Beales Mfg. B.C. Ltd. designs and manufactures heavy equipment attachments for various resource and construction industries, including forestry, resource extraction, oil and gas, mining, road maintenance, and customized attachments for several other applications. It is receiving as much as $343,000 for a project, which includes the purchase of new advanced and automated equipment that will optimize production capacity and efficiency by reducing manual production processes. The project will allow the company to design and manufacture new product lines, reduce lead times and create 14 jobs.

• Richmond – Gene Biotechnology Enterprises Ltd. is recognized as a key industry leader in Canada’s pandemic-preparedness diagnostics in the life-sciences industry that drives the advancement of cutting-edge technology to expedite the creation of innovative diagnostic solutions, including COVID-19 rapid tests. It is receiving as much as $35,800 to complete engineering and project planning to prepare to transform an industrial site into a state-of-the-art comprehensive biomanufacturing facility outfitted with advanced manufacturing machinery.

• Richmond – Eat Well Ethnic Foods Inc. is a food processor that produces frozen and meal component options for food-service providers and retail. It is receiving as much as $33,750 to develop a business plan and complete a technical assessment in preparation for a capital project. It includes renovations and new equipment to expand its product offering to include fresh, ready-to-eat products and ingredients.

Contact:Ministry of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation
Media Relations
250 883-2068

BACKGROUNDER 2

Paul Hebson, vice-president and general manager, Vancouver Drydock Company Ltd. –

“Seaspan Vancouver Drydock plays an integral role in supporting the West Coast marine industry and creating long-term work for B.C.’s skilled workforce. By investing in improvements to better use our land and the space within our water lots, we will be able to serve more customers, create new jobs and harness new economic activity for our communities.”

Chris Mobius, owner and vice-president of operations, Garibaldi Glass Industries Inc. –

“This funding has accelerated the growth of our family-owned company far more rapidly than we could have done on our own. This is work that we simply could not do without highly specialized best-in-class equipment. Funding in the hands of entrepreneurs is assisting Canada to build markets and create skilled jobs in B.C.”

Mickey Zhao, director and CEO, Saint Germain Bakery –

“Saint Germain Bakery is receiving funding from the BC Manufacturing Jobs Fund to leverage advanced automated equipment and industry 4.0 technology to boost production capacity. As a result, associated economic benefits will be activated in our local and regional supply chain through increased sourcing needs and will create jobs in retail, production and sales.”

Ahmed Dilawar, vice-president of finance, Weldco-Beales Mfg B.C. Ltd. –

“Weldco-Beales Mfg B.C. Ltd. is proudly owned by the Inuvialuit Development Corporation, an Indigenous organization. As a Canadian-owned and operated manufacturing firm, we are deeply committed to supporting the communities in which we operate. The financial contribution from the Manufacturing Jobs Fund will enable us to invest in new technologies, create new jobs and continue contributing to the growth of the economy in British Columbia.”

Contact:

Ministry of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation
Media Relations
250 883-2068

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