Norgalv – a steel galvanizing plant in North Bay – got a $5 million cash injection from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) last week to build a facility, purchase new equipment and establish a single production line, creating 45 new full-time jobs.
“We are proud to support the expansion of Norgalv, which will create jobs and build prosperity in North Bay,” said Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli. “Now more than ever, our government recognizes the importance of showcasing Northern Ontario as a great place for new investment to attract businesses, spur job creation, and strengthen competitiveness.”
The facility is expected to be more than 35,000 square feet and will employ 45 to 50 people. It will be a site for automated hot-dip galvanizing.
Construction has been delayed by COVID-19, but Norgalv is expected to open by November.
Galvanizing adds a protective zinc coating to metal to protect it from rusting. The project will strengthen the steel value chain as producers and machine shops will now have a local and more cost-effective source for galvanizing.
Norgalv will be the only steel galvanizing company in Northern Ontario.
“As our economy reopens, manufacturing companies like Norgalv are doing their part and working hard to create good-paying jobs in the north,” said Greg Rickford, minister of energy, Northern development and mines. “Strengthening the local steel industry in North Bay is an important part of our government’s plan to create more jobs and attract new and expanded investment so our northern communities can grow and thrive.”
Andre Van Soelen, managing director at Norgalv Limited says the announcement is another chapter in what will be a “long and prosperous journey” for Norgalv in Northern Ontario, and North Bay, specifically.
“Growing the economy and creating jobs are not mere slogans for this government, rather they are goals, proven by the assistance and support shown here today,” he said. “Norgalv’s products will be manufactured in the North, used in the North, and hopefully exported from the North, resulting in increased job opportunities and economic growth for our region.”
The NOHFC promotes economic development across Northern Ontario by providing financial assistance to projects – big and small, rural and urban – that stimulate growth, job creation and skilled workforce development. Since June 2018, the NOHFC has invested more than $193 million in 1,386 projects in Northern Ontario, leveraging more than $748 million in investment and creating or sustaining 3,912 jobs.