Chatham-Kent’s newest manufacturer is wasting little time making itself at home in the municipality.
United Industries Inc. has begun the recruiting process for its newly announced state-of-the-art production facility in Tilbury, with a few employees already hired.
President Greg Sturicz said the new stainless steel tubing factory is expected to generate as many as 100 local jobs. The US-based manufacturer has also expressed interest in utilizing third-party labour from other local employers.
Sturicz said United Industries has fully committed to its operations in Chatham-Kent by signing a 30-year lease agreement for the Tilbury facility.
“We [like to] integrate ourselves into the community,” said Sturicz. “We like to be a good neighbour.”
Chatham-Kent also stood out as an ideal location for the company’s first operation in Canada, Sturicz said.
“We love the fact that it’s a relatively small community,” said Sturicz. “The size of the community is one thing we do look for. Not that we want to be the dominant player, but we like to know that we’ve got a strong local workforce [that’s a] loyal workforce and we want to be equally as loyal in return.”
He added that the facility in Tilbury was also ideal for the manufacturer’s needs.
“The space it provides, the access to shipping, the access to rail. There’s just many favourable aspects of that particular site that really stood out,” said Sturicz.
Sturicz said production at the facility is expected to begin by mid-summer of 2023.
