The federal government is investing over $20 million in 14 companies across Windsor-Essex to help them diversify and upgrade operations and production in the face of trade pressures from the U.S.
Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario Evan Solomon announced the FedDev Ontario funding Thursday during a news conference at Ennova Facades on Sprucewood Avenue in Windsor.
Solomon says we’re in a trade war, and it’s tough because we rely on this region to build things that the world depends on.
“Windsor-Essex manufacturers are central to the region’s economic strength, anchoring supply chains and driving innovation across key sectors. Today’s announcement will support these companies in adopting advanced technologies, strengthening local supply chains, supporting workers, and building long-term prosperity to ensure we are building a strong Canadian economy,” he says.
U.S. President Donald Trump has imposed tariffs on Canadian goods, including steel, aluminium, and autos, ahead of negotiations around the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), which are set to begin this summer.
Ennova Facades, which makes high-performance architectural building envelopes and custom prefabricated facade systems, will receive $4.5 million to support equipment and manufacturing modernization as part of a facility expansion. The company currently employs around 120 people and will add another 10 to 15 workers as a result of the expansion.
Chief Financial Officer at Ennova Facades Paolo Lepore says a lot of their business was in the U.S., but since the tariffs, they have not been able to secure additional work across the border.
“For us, this opportunity to diversify our investment and create new product opportunities is crucial for maintaining all the stuff that we have and starting to sell new products and different products from what we currently do,” he says.
ServiceMold and Aerospace will receive just over $6 million.
Vice President Miles Schuurman says they currently employ around 70 employees, and this will give them a lot of opportunity for expansion.
“Right now, we are pretty much at capacity with our current workload and our machines that are available,” he says. “This funding will allow us to invest in much more equipment. We’re actually in the process of opening a third facility around the Lakeshore area. We’re going to be opening that up with CNC equipment through the funds.”
Jahn Engineering in Oldcastle will receive $1 million. President Louis Jahn says they are primarily an automotive and heavy truck supplier but are working to diversify half of their business.
“We’ve been very successful in the nuclear industry, and we pivoted almost immediately, so we’re using this RTRI funding to buy equipment and build expansion to be able to service the nuclear industry, and we’re looking at defence and a few other industries too,” he says.
Through the Regional Tariff Response Initiative (RTRI), the federal government is providing $1.5 billion to small and medium-sized enterprises impacted by tariffs so they can diversify their markets, create new revenue sources, and adopt innovative technologies to boost competitiveness.
Click here to find the full list of companies receiving funding and the exact amount they are receiving.