Local company expanding despite province's economic woes

Joe Guido (c) shows Northern Development and Mines Minister Michael Gravelle and Nipissing MPP Monique Smith a rotary drill bit that the local company produces on Thursday.

The mining industry may be sputtering and stalling around Ontario but for North Bay’s J.N.D. Holdings it is full steam ahead.

During a visit to the Kirkpatrick Street complex, which houses Rotacan, Northern Development and Mines Minister Michael Gravelle and Nipissing MPP Monique Smith and the board of the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) announced that the company was moving forward with a planned expansion.

Thanks to the NOHFC J.N.D. Holdings was granted a $1.5 million loan to build a 30,000-square foot addition to the existing complex.

Gravelle called the announcement a good news story in light of the troubling time the province and the country is facing.

“I find when we are not seeing a great deal of this while we are going through these pretty tough times so this is a pretty exciting story. “

“He’s creating more jobs and it shows us that even when there is an economic downturn you can keep people employed and you can in fact employ more people to keep this business going so it’s a good news story and it’s one that couldn’t make myself or my colleague Monique Smith happier.”

“This is what it is all about how can we help such operators like Joe Guido and others sometimes sustain jobs but in this case create jobs as he expands his operation.”

“By supporting northern manufacturers we are helping our own homegrown businesses compete in the global marketplace and create jobs locally,” said Nipissing MPP Monique Smith.

This project will include the purchase of a heat treating furnace for the company’s products.