Construction products maker Vicwest expanding in Stratford, Ont.

In a move designed to streamline its manufacturing and shipping from one centralized location, Oakville, Ont.-based construction products manufacturer Vicwest Inc. is expanding its current manufacturing facilities in Stratford, Ont., with completion expected in the second quarter of 2018.

“The expansion of the Stratford manufacturing location allows Vicwest to amalgamate their Ontario based operations into one centralized location,” said Bernard Lewis, Vicwest’s senior vice president of operations. “Currently, the industrial mills have been operating from our Oakville location. This build-out will allow for the Oakville mills to be moved to the expanded Stratford facility. The Oakville offices will be moving to a new facility in Burlington at the beginning of Q2 2018.”

Vicwest says the planned move will optimize floor space achieved through lean manufacturing principles, increase mill operations speed as a result of new drives and controls, enhance overall efficiency, and create space for planned installation of automated wrapping equipment

Vicwest, a division of the Kingspan Group of Companies, is a manufacturer and distributor of building construction products for agriculture, commercial, industrial, and residential markets. Its products include PVC trimboards, columns, moldings, and accents.

The firm employs approximately 500 workers.