The Ontario government provided $2 million in funding to help a Beamsville PPE company to grow to 350 employees.
The funding from the province’s Ontario Together Fund was given to Ophardt Hygiene Technologies Inc. as it expanded local manufacturing operations that make soap and sanitizer dispensers, creating 75 new jobs and retaining 96 positions while producing PPE used to fight COVID-19. It now employs 350 people in Beamsville.
“It’s great to see how our province’s manufacturing sector continues to step up and respond with made-in-Ontario solutions in our fight against COVID-19 and create jobs at the same time,” said Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade.
“Companies like Ophardt Hygiene are supporting our local supply chains and bringing their products to market quickly and safely so we can continue to fight the pandemic today and lay the foundation for Ontario’s recovery.”
The Ontario funding, Ophardt will expand its facilities and move the manufacture of soap and sanitizer dispensers from overseas to Beamsville, in the town of Lincoln.
The company said it will increase production to 300,000 dispensers and one million dispenser drive modules per year in Ontario. The product is used in high-traffic areas of airports, shopping malls and medical facilities.
Ophardt is spending $7 million to expand, including the $2 million from the province. The spend includes purchasing molding, automation and bottle-making equipment.
“Companies like Ophardt Hygiene have stepped up to the plate throughout the pandemic, showing the Ontario spirit and creating important sanitizing equipment for use in medical, industrial, and many other settings,” said Sam Oosterhoff, MPP for Niagara West.
“The leadership shown by so many throughout the Niagara region, including the team at Ophardt Hygiene, is helping to support the local economy during this very difficult period and keep people safe.”
“Ophardt Hygiene is pleased to be playing an important role in keeping Ontarians healthy during this pandemic,” said Ken Friesen, General Manager of Ophardt Hygiene Canada. “I’d like to thank the Ophardt team for their tireless work throughout this pandemic, and the Ontario government for their quick and decisive action, both of which allowed us to increase output for this life-saving equipment in record time.”
Through the Ontario Together Fund, the government is delivering targeted investments that will increase the province’s stockpile of made-in-Ontario products and PPE.
Since its launch, the Ontario Together web portal has received more than 30,000 submissions that have resulted in more than 19,000 emergency supply leads. These leads have been converted into more than $910 million in purchases of critical supplies and equipment to support staff on the front lines including more than 29 million gowns; and more than 491 million gloves, 148 million masks, and over 14 million face shields.