$2.48M for Dajcor capital investment

CHATHAM Dajcor Aluminum Ltd., a Chatham manufacturer that produces aluminum components, will receive a $2.48-million loan from the province to help fund an expansion and make improvements to the plant.

Peter Fragiskatos, MP for London North Centre, credited the company and president Mike Kilby, for turning the plant around in recent years, eventually becoming industry of the year for Chatham-Kent.

“I think it’s a great story,” he said. “I know that there were concerns in 2009 about what would happen to this facility and the employees here … You and your team have rescued the facility.”

Through the upgrades, the company will be able to manufacture more complex and high-quality aluminum components. Some of these include transit doors, ventilation systems and LED light enclosures.

Fragiskatos credited the innovative technology within the company. “This kind of work tells a different story about manufacturing. All too often we’ve understood manufacturing to be that traditional kind of approach.”

Dajcor, which has approximately 160 employees, will hire 35 more as a result of the funding.

Kilby recognized his partners and staff for the company’s success. He said there will be a total of $10.2 million in improvements over the next three years.

“(This) project has enabled us to accelerate our capital expansion, capture current and future market opportunities, and increase employment in Chatham-Kent,” he said.

Mayor Randy Hope credited the company and the federal government for their investment in the economy. He said it’s a testament to the viability of the industry.

“Everybody thought manufacturing was dead in the province of Ontario,” he said. “We’re looking forward to the future.”