Ontario Investing in Peterborough-Based Producer of Hand Sanitizer and Disinfectant Bottles

The Ontario government is investing $1 million from the Ontario Together Fund to help Peterborough’s Merit Precision manufacture bottles for hand sanitizers and disinfectants. This expansion will create 10 new local jobs and retain 75 positions, while producing the vital products to support the fight against COVID-19.

“It’s great to see how Ontario’s manufacturing sector continues to step up and respond with made-in-Ontario solutions in our fight against COVID-19 and create jobs at the same time,” said Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. “Companies like Merit Precision are advancing our local supply chains of critical products and bringing their products to market quickly and safely so we can continue to fight the pandemic today and lay the foundation for Ontario’s recovery.”

With Ontario’s support, Merit Precision is investing in two blow moulding lines, tooling and the necessary infrastructure to manufacture bottles. This investment will enable the company to provide locally produced bottles for hand sanitizers and disinfectants manufactured in Ontario by Peterborough-based Charlotte Products. Currently, Charlotte Products is facing the challenge of not having enough bottles to meet the growing demand for its cleaning products.

Merit Precision, an injection moulding company that primarily manufactures parts and components for the auto sector, is investing $1.3 million in this project, which includes purchasing molding, automation and bottle-making equipment.

“This investment demonstrates our government’s commitment to a vibrant manufacturing sector in the Province of Ontario, including here in Peterborough-Kawartha”, said Dave Smith, MPP for Peterborough-Kawartha. “It is amazing to see the incredible working partnership between Charlotte Products and Merit Precision Molding, which has led to the creation of more jobs in our community. Like many municipalities across the province, we are struggling during the pandemic and these types of innovative partnerships are critical to support our local economy.”

“To be globally competitive and resilient in times of crisis, supply chain partners must be innovative and find new ways to collaborate,” said Tim Barrie, President, Merit Precision Limited.  “This investment will help to build an integrated cluster for sanitizers and disinfectant production, ensuring the manufacturer has secure and continuous access to bottles.”

Through the Ontario Together Fund, the government is delivering targeted investments that will increase the province’s stockpile of made-in-Ontario products and PPE. This new manufacturing and research capacity will help the province combat the current COVID-19 outbreak and prepare for potential challenges in the future, while supporting local businesses.

Since its launch, the Ontario Together web portal has received more than 30,000 submissions that have resulted in more than 19,000 emergency supply leads. These leads have been converted into more than $910 million in purchases of critical supplies and equipment to support staff on the front lines including more than 29 million gowns and more than 491 million gloves, 148 million masks and over 14 million face shields.

Quick Facts

• The Government of Ontario declared its second provincial emergency and issued a stay-at-home-order in response to COVID-19 on January 12, 2021.
• The government launched the $50 million Ontario Together Fund to help businesses retool their operations to produce PPE and develop technology-driven solutions and services for businesses to reopen safely.
• Businesses and individuals looking to help in the fight against COVID-19 can submit their proposals through the Ontario Together web portal.
• Since launching last July, the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters’ Ontario Made program has been helping the province’s manufacturing base regain and recover revenues lost due to COVID-19. It encourages manufacturers and producers to register and promote their products on the SupportOntarioMade.ca site and use the Ontario Made logo.
• The Workplace PPE Supplier Directory provides businesses with information on personal protective equipment (PPE) suppliers.