Company Announces Jobs for Mulgrave
Ocean Nutrition Canada Ltd. today announced plans to expand its marine-based health and nutritional products business by building new facilities in Nova Scotia. The project will create a total of 150 permanent, skilled jobs in Mulgrave and Halifax.
The expansion will make Ocean Nutrition Canada a world leader in the research, development and manufacture of marine-based nutritional supplements and ingredients for nutritionally enhanced foods. It includes establishing a new manufacturing plant and adding a packaging facility to Ocean Nutrition Canada's existing microencapsulation operation in Mulgrave.
Ocean Nutrition Canada will also establish a research and development facility in Halifax and open a new softgel encapsulation plant at a soon-to-be-determined site in Nova Scotia.
"We're building on Nova Scotia's life-long relationship with the sea and its expertise in marine science to build a company that's based here, that's operated here by Nova Scotians and that's selling products to world markets," said Robert Orr, general manager of Ocean Nutrition Canada. "The development and use of innovative extraction, processing and manufacturing technologies enables us to make greater use of renewable marine resources and traditional fishing industry byproducts."
Ocean Nutrition Canada is directly investing $15.5 million in the expansion. The Province of Nova Scotia will support the project with $8 million in loans from the Department of Economic Development and Tourism.
A total of $3.5 million will be provided by the federal government, comprised of $1.5 million from Human Resources Development Canada and $1 million loans each from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and Enterprise Cape Breton Corporation, through the Business Development Program.
The province has approved additional loans up to $10 million for further expansion, pending the results of feasibility studies now underway.
"The Government of Canada is committed to helping improve the economy of Atlantic Canada, especially in rural communities," said Senator Al Graham, leader of the government in the Senate and Minister responsible for Nova Scotia, on behalf of the Honourable Fred Mifflin, Secretary of State for ACOA, and the Honourable Pierre Pettigrew, Minister of Human Resources Development Canada. "We are especially interested in working with private sector and other government partners to develop high-tech, knowledge-based jobs in areas of the province where they have traditionally not been present."
"This is the largest investment to date in Nova Scotia's growing life sciences sector," said Economic Development and Tourism Minister Manning MacDonald. "Ocean Nutrition Canada has developed a line of products that serve a huge and growing world market and the expansion will enable the company to take full advantage of this opportunity. It's creating good jobs for Nova Scotians, helping to diversify the province's marine resources, and increasing our exports."
Ocean Nutrition Canada is creating a name for itself in the nutritional products industry as the only vertically integrated, North American manufacturer of a full line of marine nutraceutical products, which it exports to the United States and Asia.
These health and nutritional products have been scientifically and clinically proven to provide a wide range of health benefits including improved cardiovascular health; increased mental acuity, focus and memory; decreased joint inflammation and pain related to arthritis; and support for the body as it ages.
"Nova Scotians can be proud of the unique technologies and nutritional products that are being developed and marketed by Ocean Nutrition Canada. Nova Scotia's thriving research and development community has played a significant role in the growth and development of our company," said Mr. Orr. "In particular, Innovacorp, Dalhousie University and the National Research Council have provided considerable support, without which, the company's current success and growth would have been impossible."
Ocean Nutrition Canada's operations in Mulgrave and Halifax currently employ a total workforce of 40. The opening of the new plant in Mulgrave is anticipated to take place in May 1999, creating 45 new, full-time jobs.
Housing and Municipal Affairs Minister Ray White also attended the news conference and welcomed the news for the area.
Human Resources Development Canada is providing funding through the Transitional Jobs Fund. The fund is designed to encourage partnership initiatives with other levels of government, the private sector and community groups. Projects are subject to consultations with the provincial or territorial government in which the activity takes place, regardless of its financial participation. Projects should also be consistent with regional economic development strategies.
NOTE TO EDITORS: Vertical integration means controlling the entire process including harvesting, research and development, manufacturing, marketing, sales and distribution.