New support for manufacturing businesses in the Lower Mainland will create jobs and promote the development of made-in-B.C. products while strengthening local economies and communities.

“We’re taking action by working with local manufacturers who are incorporating innovation to expand their product lines, so they can remain competitive and keep creating sustainable jobs,” said Brenda Bailey, Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation. “We will continue partnering with home-grown companies to drive real, positive, forward-looking change that fuels growth and opportunity in communities throughout our province.”

Through the BC Manufacturing Jobs Fund (BCMJF), the Government of B.C. is contributing as much as $7.2 million toward six capital projects and two planning projects in the Lower Mainland. These projects will help local manufacturers remain competitive by strengthening local supply chains, implementing new, advanced manufacturing equipment and technology to create new product lines to diversify their operations, while establishing new, skilled jobs for local workers.

“From mining, forestry, and the construction and marine sectors to biomanufacturing, glass fabrication and the food industry, these projects showcase the cutting-edge ideas and innovation being advanced by people and businesses in British Columbia,” said Josie Osborne, Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation. “Our government’s support for innovation in the manufacturing sector is helping B.C. companies advance their technologies and build their businesses, creating good jobs and new opportunities for people in communities around our province.”

Vancouver-based pH7 Technologies Inc. is a clean-tech company that has developed an innovative process for extracting and refining critical metals, including platinum group metals, to support the transition to renewable energy in an environmentally and economically sustainable manner. Its closed-loop process leverages organic, inorganic and electrochemical methods to minimize the environmental impact of mining and recycling critical metals with no toxic emissions, waste water or effluents, and reduced energy consumption. This approach enables efficient metal extraction that is often uneconomical or unfeasible with traditional pyro- or hydro-metallurgical methods.

The company is receiving as much as $1.5 million to construct a full production plant and purchase new equipment to scale up to full commercialization, while creating 20 jobs. This project builds on the $850,000-funding awarded in 2023 through the Province’s Innovative Clean Energy fund, which supported pH7’s product development and pilot plant.

“pH7 Technologies’ rapid growth from lab to our new industrial-scale plant in Burnaby was fueled by our entire talented team,” said Mohammad Doostmohammadi, CEO, pH7 Technologies Inc. “The BC Manufacturing Jobs Fund support is further expanding our capacity to create even more jobs for British Columbians and cleanly refine critical metals crucial to the global transition to electrification and green energy.”

Ideal Gear and Machine Works Inc. is a Delta-based manufacturer that produces custom-made gears used in machinery for forestry, marine and mining equipment, and transmission systems for hydroelectric power. It will receive as much as $2.4 million toward upgrading to advanced manufacturing equipment at its current facility that will decrease reliance on manual processes and improve production time and precision. The increased capacity will allow the company to expand production to meet demand within industry and build a more resilient supply chain. The project will create 25 jobs, most of which are skilled positions targeting recent machining graduates to help promote youth to enter the sector.

“The fund supports our investments in advanced manufacturing machinery, which will expand our capabilities to meet rising demand, achieve unparalleled precision and become leaders in North America,” said Carmen Ma, site controller, Ideal Gear and Machine Works Inc. “The funding helps create more skilled labor within our community, further reinforcing our Province’s dedication to strengthening and innovating the B.C. manufacturing sector.”

Clean and Competitive: A Blueprint for B.C.’s Industrial Future lays out the Province’s work to drive new investment, create new jobs and seize new opportunities in growing clean-energy and sustainable industries. Supporting local manufacturing sectors helps leverage B.C.’s strengths to create good jobs and opportunities in every community and will improve the quality of life for people, while strengthening B.C.’s diverse economy.

Quick Facts:

• The BCMJF supports high-value industrial and manufacturing capital projects in all sectors that will create and protect well-paying jobs.
• The BCMJF has committed as much as $123 million toward 112 projects, representing $1 billion in total capital investment in B.C.
• Every $1 million invested results in $7 million in total direct capital investments in B.C., $590,000 in tax revenue to the Province and $5.3 million in provincial gross domestic product (GDP).
• Funded projects will create more than 1,700 jobs and protect more than 2,300 jobs. 

Learn More:

To learn about the BC Manufacturing Jobs Fund, including a list of recipients and updated application deadline information, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/employment-business/economic-development/support-organizations-community-partners/rural-economic-development/manufacturing-jobs-fund     

To learn more about Clean and Competitive: A Blueprint for B.C.’s Industrial Future, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/Clean_and_Competitive.pdf  

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