Recipient: Global Plas
Location: York
Total funding allocated: $2.5 million
For all business owners, there are many factors when considering growing their companies. For Global Plas, a Concord-based manufacturer of plastic parts for automobiles, the right time was obvious. Opportunity knocked for the company in 2017 when contacted by a Tier 1 supplier to one of Canada’s largest vehicle manufacturers, Toyota Canada, to manufacture door and fender parts for the revamped 2019 Toyota RAV4 crossover, assembled in nearby Woodstock, Ontario.
To meet new client demand for Global Plas’ custom interior, exterior and under-the-hood molded plastic parts, the company undertook a $7-million expansion plan to renovate its newly acquired 71,000-square-foot building, located a few blocks away from its original 55,000-square-foot plant. With help from a $2.5-million investment from FedDev Ontario, the project supported outfitting the larger facility with new production lines, five injection-molding machines, and advanced robotics and automation equipment. This overall expansion will grow the team from 65 to more than 150 employees.
“The ever-changing environment in North America shows that Canadian companies, both large and small, need to push further than they ever have,” says John Hunjan, Director of Finance and Purchasing, Global Plas. “Support from FedDev Ontario shows that we are not alone and can be the leaders in our fields, bringing us into an age of robotic technologies that give us an edge in our industry.”
With added space, expertise, and new technologies, Global Plas can manufacture a higher volume of more complex parts with reduced waste and shorter lead times. As production will have significantly increased, Global Plas is now better positioned to secure contracts from new and existing automotive manufacturing clients. In fact, the company is faced with growing market demand from significant Tier I automotive manufacturers across North America and Japan.
“Global Plas will be adding two additional fully electric machines to our current lineup this year in order to meet growing market demands. We are extremely grateful for our customer base and their trust in us,” says Hunjan.
Global Plas is also proving to be a robust link in Ontario’s automotive supply chain. In addition to buying material locally, the parts manufactured in Global Plas’ new Concord facility are being installed in vehicles assembled here in Ontario!
FedDev Ontario is proud to support Global Plas as it fuels a positive ripple effect for the regional economy and strengthens the value of the automotive plastics industry in Canada.
Support from FedDev Ontario shows that we are not alone and can be the leaders in our fields, bringing us into an age of robotic technologies that give us an edge in our industry.John Hunjan, Director of Finance and Purchasing, Global Plas
Stay Connected