TRURO - A local packaging and woven fabric manufacturing company will soon be better able to compete on a global market.
Engineered Coated Products LP (ECP), located on Abbey Road in the Truro Industrial Park, received more than $52,000 yesterday from the province's Productivity Investment Program (PIP).
"This will allow us to make better quality products at a lower cost," said Silvano Iaboni, ECP's vice-president of manufacturing. "That's what it's all about.
"Our competitors come from India, China and Vietnam."
Added controller Kevin Publicover: "This will enable us to put out top quality products and enter new markets."
Nearly two-thirds of the cash - $32,345 - will be used to purchase new equipment that provide continuous scanning of products on the production line, searching for defects. Employees currently inspect the pieces as they go by.
"It's a detecting system with a computer, two cameras and a light source," said Iaboni.
"We ordered the equipment as soon as we received approval for the funding."
Along with the new equipment, which is scheduled to arrive in about 60 days, ECP will receive $20,245 to train employees.
"Our plan is to do the training this quarter," said Iaboni, explaining that eight current electrical staff members will receive the training offsite.
Company officials wouldn't reveal how many employees work at the Truro plant. The business, however, is part of Intertape Polymer Group Ltd., which employs more than 2,400 employees in 16 facilities. There is one other plant in Canada, located in Langley, B.C.
Established in 1968, the company started with less than 100,00 square feet and its first product was the common garbage bag. Since then, it has grown to full capacity at its Truro location, expanding to 330,000 square feet.
The company works with 200,000 pounds of plastic resin on a daily basis for its woven and film production lines.
It produces roofing underlayment to go under shingles, as well as a roofing material. The Agridome on the Nova Scotia Provincial Exhibition grounds, for example, is made of ECP products.
"We compete with other fabrics, like PVC (a type of plastic)," Doug Stout, textile manager explained to Nova Scotia Premier Darrell Dexter and Truro-Bible Hill MLA Lenore Zann who were on hand for the announcement.
The company also produces shrink film for products such as compact discs.
