Swift Canoe Company of South River has received $32,000 from the Yves Landry Foundation.
The funding will allow the company to implement a new training program to allow steady year-round production and avoid seasonal layoffs.
The money came through a new federal training program called Achieving Innovation and Manufacturing Excellence North (AIME North). The program helps manufacturers cut training costs when introducing cutting-edge processes, tools and technologies.
Company president Bill Swift Jr. was “thrilled” to receive the grant.
“Our manufacturing facility has become a key employer within the South River community since moving our factory operations here in 1998. Our motto is Proudly Made In Canada. This funding will help us remain competitive.”
Swift operates four retail stores in Ontario through which it sells its canoes and kayaks.
The company began in 1989 and employs 23 employees. A news release said this funding will create 10 jobs over the next four years.
“The funding announced today will enable Swift Canoe to move forward with its new manufacturing system and implement its state-of-the-art fusion technology, further positioning the company as an industry leader in production of high-quality canoes and kayaks,” said FedNor Minister Tony Clement in a July 3 statement.
“If our manufacturers can compete on a global basis, we can retain and grow essential manufacturing jobs in the North,” said Karyn Brearley, executive director of the Yves Landry Foundation.
