Ontario rubber, silicone manufacturers get funding for upgrades

Two rubber and silicone product makers in Southern Ontario will receive $1.5 million from the government of Ontario’s Southwestern Development Fund as part of a $20 million investment in new machinery and equipment.

The funding through the Southwestern Development Fund will see an upgrade of equipment and machinery at Poly-Nova Technologies Limited Partnership in Guelph. It will also help fund an expansion of a related corporation, Starlim North America, in nearby London. Both are part of the Starlim/Sterner corporate family.

The upgrade project will create 24 new jobs as the firm’s London facility invests in new production bays and injection molding machines, and as and Poly-Nova in Guelph upgrades its processes and improves energy efficiency.

Both firms manufacture rubber and silicon products for the automotive, healthcare, electronics, and sanitation industries.

“We are pleased to make a significant investment in Southwestern Ontario with the expansion of our production facility in London and the facility and equipment upgrades being made at our Guelph plant,” Vijai Lakshmikanthan, vice president, Starlim North America and Poly-Nova Technologies LP, said in a statement. “Our company chose to expand in Ontario over other locations in the world. There are many reasons for our decision including that Guelph and London provide great access to North American and Asian markets, good transportation infrastructure and a skilled workforce.”