South Slocan’s Drop Group is gearing up to expand and recruit as it welcomes $1.2 million in provincial government funding for two capital projects in the Kootenays.
Drop Group founder, Anders Malpass, says it will provide a great opportunity for the company and the community.
“The expansion of the manufacturing facility in our receiving department adds about 50 plus jobs in the region and allows us to continue to expand in a rural localized environment, providing clean technologies and distributing worldwide products.”
“We’ll be adding about 6 ,000 square feet of industrial space to our operations, as well as 50 more jobs into our sprocket company.”
“On the marine side, we’re adding about similar, about another 6 ,000 square feet to vessel manufacturing and then another 35 plus jobs also to the region as we can aim to expand.”
“We’re really fortunate to be able to provide those rural jobs and clean technology manufacturing right here out of the Kootenays in South Slocan, between Nelson and Castlegar.”
The Drop Group is undertaking two large-scale capital projects, which will contribute to local supply chains and scale up operations for its rapidly growing businesses, Drop Sprockets Inc. and Drop Marine Inc.
Both companies work with local educational institutions to offer apprenticeships and support youth and co-op students with training opportunities on advanced machinery.
Drop Sprockets Inc. designs, engineers and manufactures sprockets with a primary focus on the forestry, agriculture, mining and manufacturing industries.
It is receiving as much as $950,000 toward the construction of a new 446-square-metre (4,800 square feet) facility outfitted with new equipment that will increase production output by 50%, helping to meet current demand across North America and preparing it for expected growth.
The capital project will also allow Drop Sprockets to expand its product range and bring more processing in-house, helping to improve production speed and quality while creating 52 new job opportunities.
Drop Marine Inc. manufactures commercial marine vehicles and components for industrial customers primarily in the forestry sector.
It is receiving as much as $218,000 to support the construction of a new manufacturing facility and the purchase of equipment. It will allow the company to scale up production with significantly reduced lead times to bring its fleet of vessels to full commercialization. It will also be able to bring the production of key components in-house and enter new markets while creating 30 jobs.
The BCMJF funding will complement as much as $474,000 that Drop Marine is receiving through the B.C. Maritime Industries Infrastructure Modernization and Expansion Grant program administered by the Association of British Columbia Marine Industries to support this capital project, bringing the total contribution from the province to $692,000.
The Ministry of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation announced the funding Sept. 11 as part of its BC Manufacturing Jobs Fund.
“Local manufacturers are looking to grow their business and bring sustainable jobs to their communities for the long term,” said Jobs Minister Brenda Bailey. “By partnering with home-grown B.C. companies, we’re able to help them meet their goals and enhance their operations while fostering economic growth.”
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