Proposed glass plant could create 350 new local jobs
A proposed float glass manufacturing facility slated to be built just west of the city of Guelph could bring with it substantial opportunities for the local workforce, says the Guelph Chamber of Commerce.
The Hong Kong-based company, Xinyi Canada, has said it will need to hire 400 people to work full-time at the advanced manufacturing facility. A majority of those workers are expected to be sourced locally.
Kithio Mwanzia, Guelph chamber president, said having a global company like Xinyi set up shop in Guelph Eramosa Township could serve to attract other advanced manufacturers to the area. The site of the proposed plant is at 5081 Wellington Rd. 32.
Besides the 400 jobs proposed, there’s going to be “huge supply chain opportunities,” he said.
The company could also end up forging relationships with local manufacturers, which could lead to the comanufacturing of certain components, he added.
“The way in which manufacturing works in Ontario, particularly because we have such a diverse supply chain opportunity here in Guelph, we’re excited for the opportunity that building relationships among manufacturers will mean for both business communities,” Mwanzia said.
He said the available jobs could be filled by local grads coming out of specialized programs at Conestoga College or the University of Guelph.
“A lot of graduates will be coming out of programs that will be able to feed right into working at a place like this that is focused around advanced manufacturing.”
But not all 400 jobs will be filled by local workers. Reached Friday morning, Xinyi spokesperson
Neil Dunsmore said the company estimates the plant will need around 50 experts from outside Canada to work at the facility. The other 350 jobs will be sourced locally.
The company wants to have expert staff living on-site in order to respond quickly to any mechanical or maintenance-related issues, he said.
That’s why the company is looking to amend the township bylaw to allow for short-term dwelling units to be built on the 49 hectares of land.
The operation of the float glass plant is complex. The facility is to run three large manufacturing lines and employees are to work on three separate shifts.
The plant is to run 24 hours a day, seven days a week, year-round.
Due to the complexity of operations, it would take around nine months to get the plant up and running again once it’s shut down. This is why the plant will only stop for maintenance every 12-15 years.
“If they ever have to shut this line down, it’s down for nine months and it’s $200 million that’s lost,” Dunsmore said. “So they need a lot of people there in case there’s a problem.”
To dispel any rumours of cheap foreign labour coming over to live and work on-site, Dunsmore emphasized the foreign workers that would make up the company's team of experts are all “well-paid technical chemical engineers and manufacturing engineers.”
Within three to five years Xinyi aims to have a staff of 380 local workers and a team of 20 “international experts,” he said.
On Monday, township councillors will meet at Parkwood Gardens Church Sanctuary on Whitelaw Road at 7 p.m. to discuss the bylaw amendment application.
The development proposal has become very controversial, with township residents and even the City of Guelph's CEO voicing concern.
Much of the controversy is around the company’s proposal to take 1.6 million litres of water daily from a well it intends to establish on site. Other concerns around air pollution, noise and traffic management at the site have also been raised.
Earlier this week, Xinyi Canada posted a number of technical documents in support of their application on their website.
Mwanzia said these reports should be used to guide the decisions councillors will need to make. “The technical reports will really be able to tell the story. The hope is that evidence-based decision-making is at the centre of some of these discussions,” he said.