Cutler Forest Products of Vaughn, Ont. will invest $3.35 million to expand its operation and create some 40 new jobs thanks in part to a grant for new technology and plant consolidation from Canada's Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario).
The FedDev Ontario will fund up to $837,500 of the total project cost, part of a government mission to help Canadian businesses increase productivity, expand operations and support job creation.
The announcement was made on behalf of the Honourable Navdeep Bains, minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and minister responsible for FedDev Ontario.
Cutler Forest Products, via its three divisions, designs and manufactures ready-to-assemble cabinetry for kitchen, bath and storage solutions, as well as constructing and wholesaling wood products.
"This investment will encourage growth and expansion for Cutler and will allow our company to focus on what is important,” says Jonathan Glick, president & CEO, Cutler Forest Products.
The funding “will help create jobs and will present exciting challenges for Cutler, as we work towards expanding our operations and export opportunities."
The FedDev Ontario investment will allow Cutler to acquire state-of-the-art equipment and consolidate its manufacturing services at a single 195,000-square-foot facility in Vaughan, thereby increasing productivity and its capacity to innovate and become more competitive.
This project will support the company's efforts to expand its customer base and the export of its products to the United States. It will also benefit the wood, laminate and veneer supply chains across Canada that provide materials to Cutler.
The repayable contribution of up to $837,500 is being provided through FedDev Ontario's Investing in Business Growth and Productivity initiative. FedDev Ontario is providing this investment toward a total project cost of $3,350,000.
It is expected that up to 40 full-time, skilled jobs will be created by 2018 and that $2,512,500 will be leveraged through private sector investment.
Cutler Forest Products, established in 1973, includes three operating divisions: Cutler Kitchen and Bath, Cutler Modern Living and Cutler Distribution & Fabrication.
The company's main product lines are ready-to-assemble kitchen and bathroom cabinetry and storage solutions.
Since 2009, FedDev Ontario has committed more than $530 million to approximately 2,150 manufacturing projects.
