Niagara-area pallet business gets $1,800,000 from Province to expand facility

A West Lincoln business got a $1.8 million boost from the Province yesterday (August 24) to help defray the costs of its ambitious $9 million expansion.

Niagara Pallet, established in 1993 as a small pallet repair operation, has grown into a multi-service wood products facility with 65 full-time employees and is looking to make its facility even larger.

The provincial cash will help the Smithville business, one of Niagara’s Living Wage employers, expand its production facility and install automated pallet-making equipment. This investment will triple pallet production, increase the company’s sales by 46 per cent and create 30 new jobs.

“We are thankful for the support of Ontario’s Forest Sector Investment and Innovation Program,” said Mike Vrugteveen, Vice-President of Niagara Pallet.

“This investment has allowed us to purchase and install new equipment for the processing of lumber in our facility, which will allow our business to produce wood packaging products more efficiently.”

Niagara Pallet’s $9 million project will help meet growing demand for the company’s products by adding 60,000 square feet of production space and installing automated sorting, measurement and lumber-cutting equipment. The project is expected to double the company’s U.S. export sales.

Videos

Read More

Read More

Learn more

Read More

Graydon Smith, the provincial Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry, was on hand for the announcement, noting, “We are building prosperity and creating jobs right here in the Niagara Region and investing in a strong, sustainable forest sector across Ontario.”

Also in attendance and applauding the funding was Niagara West MPP Sam Oosterhoff, West Lincoln Mayor
Cheryl Ganann and West Lincoln Councillor William Reilly.

“As one of the province’s largest manufacturers and recyclers of pallets and shipping materials, Niagara Pallet continues to be a leader in innovation and sustainability in our region,” said Oosterhoff. “I congratulate the Vrugteveen family and the hardworking team at Niagara Pallet as they plan to expand their growing operation in Smithville.”