DEBERT - A local window and door manuafacturer has invested in new equipment to make its operations more efficient, thanks to provincial funding.
Kohltech International in Debert used $65,350 in funding from Nova Scotia's Productivity Investment Program (PIP) to help purchase three new pieces of equipment that will see the company grow its business and become more globally competitive.
"Kohltech is leveraging funds from the province's Productivity Investment Program ... to ensure that the employees are working with the latest tools and technology," Truro Bible Hill MLA Lenore Zann said, during the announcement, which she made on behalf of Economic and Rural Development and Tourism Minister Percy Paris.
"Companies like Kohltech are really cornerstones of our communities. They're important local employers that are essential to Nova Scotia's overall success and especially success in our rural communities," she said.
The provincial funding was used to help Kohltech purchase three new pieces of equipment designed to save time and reduce material waste in an effort to see it become more productive and competitive, company general manager Kevin Pelley said.
"Saving time, money and reducing waste allows companies like us to be more productive and competitive in the global marketplace," he said, adding the new equipment will help Kohltech strengthen its market in Atlantic Canada and also places such as Ontario, western Canada and New England.
The three new pieces of equipment include one that allows for more efficient processing of window frames and minimizing waste, one that will enhance production lines, improve efficiency and eliminate repetitive manual processes and a test lab that provides for in-house air and water leakage and structural testing, that is expected to save thousands of dollars in outsourcing costs.
Kohltech International currently employs more than 250 people at its Debert manufacturing facility, although that number edges up to more than 300 in the busier summer months.
The company manufactures custom made windows and doors, marketed as Peter Kohler Window and Entrance Systems in Atlantic Canada and Kohltech Window and Entrance Systems in Ontario, Western Canada and the United States.
