On Friday morning in Sudbury, there was an announcement about a $3 million federal investment to help three area mining fabrication and manufacturing companies respond to global trade pressures. Officials at Soluroc in Lively said the company is home to the most advanced pipe fabrication shop in the Americas. It received $1 million through the federal Regional Tariff Response Initiative. “If we want to be competitive globally with this tariff situation, there is no other choice but to invest in facilities, increase productivity, lower costs and just become more competitive,” said Soluroc president and CEO Christian Gagnon. Sudbury MP Viviane Lapointe made the $3 million announcement to support three Sudbury businesses. “These companies have developed viable plans to be able to pivot away,” Lapointe said. “Whether that’s from finding other customers or from sourcing other supply chains, more stable supply chains or producing different products.” The companies said the funding is about helping them adapt and grow. “We are on track to hire 25 people from now until the end of the calendar year,” said Marty Desjardins, Jennmar Canada director of sales. “And as far as tariff relief, we are going to be able to manufacture more goods in-house right here in Sudbury, which will obviously relieve the tariff fees that we have been paying throughout our purchase orders.” Michael Rocha, president of Lopes Ltd., said the funding helps remove some of the uncertainty they are facing. “With respect to tariff pressures, a lot of the time there is uncertainty in the marketplace … in terms of what the products are selling for in that marketplace,” Rocha said. “This gives us some certainty on our production costs.” As the companies adapt to global trade pressures and build for the future, they said a total of more than 40 new jobs will be created.
