Canada Economic Development supports Windmill Plastics

Loans will provide means for company to accelerate its growth

Denis Paradis, MP for the Bromemissisquoi riding, made a stop at Windmill Plastics Ltd. in Knowlton last week to deliver a $300,000 cheque on behalf of Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development.

It’s not a gift this time. Rather it is a loan from Canadian Economic Development (CED) representing 10 per cent of the $3 million investment to modernize the equipment and infrastructure at Windmill Plastics (Les plastiques de Moulin Ltée) based in Knowlton. The loan is repayable in seven years.

Located on Victoria Street, the company specializes in high-volume moulding and produces plastic storage containers, laundry baskets, and other plastic household products for Sterilite, one of the largest brands in North America. The products are sold at large retail stores in Canada. One of the larger employers in the TBL area, Eric Desrosiers, general manager of the company, says that he has a staff of 82 full-time people. The operation runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

According to Desrosiers, the federal government is one of a few partners including the provincial government’s Investissements du Québec and Caisse Desjardins. “We’ve been working on this project for about 18 months and take this investment seriously,” Desrosiers said. This investment will allow for the upgrade of the company’s moulding presses. “We are confident that the loan will be paid back on time. The Quebec loan and CED loan are very advantageous with fixed and lower interest rates than typical market loans so they are great programs and will help us to modernize, become more efficient and produce a larger quantity of products. We are adding capacity to the plant. We are hoping to be able to grow because until now we have been concerned about water and electrical capacity as well as machine time.”

Paradis says that Windmill Plastics

Éric Desrosiers, general manager; François Desrosiers, vice president; and MP Denis Paradis, and Réjean Desrosiers, president of Windmill Plastics.

Ltd is “an innovative company that has invested in new technologies to drive growth. Our government resolutely supports companies that, like Plastiques Moulin, have the confidence and vision to increase their productivity.” Paradis says that this funding will help Windmill Plastics to acquire and install production equipment such as numerically controlled presses.

Bains stresses that it is his department’s goal to help businesses grow and innovate so they can become more competitive in the market and create good jobs. “That’s why we support companies like Plastiques Moulin, whose success is reflected in the region and the Canadian economy as a whole.”