By Cecilia Nasmith/Northumberland 89.7 FM/Today’s Northumberland
Building on Baxter’s Bakery’s investment of $3,491,269, the Ontario government is providing the local company with $466,569 in funding through the Regional Development Program and Eastern Ontario Development Fund.
Located in Cobourg’s Northam Industrial Park, Baxter’s had been in business close to 20 years in Toronto before it moved some of its operations to this community in 2020. And at Friday’s announcement, President David Baxter said they had found Cobourg to be “dramatically different than any other location we have ever been in as an operation – the access to help, to elected officials. Night and day.”
Baxter said they look forward to remaining in the community and developing a workforce that is larger, more talented and more successful.
Baxter’s products occupy grocery-store shelves across Canada and the US. The investment will see the purchase and installation of new manufacturing and packaging equipment at their Cobourg facility that will significantly increase production capacity, support research and development, expand the use of automation and create 54 new good-paying jobs.
Since arriving in Cobourg, David Baxter said, “we have invested close to $5-million to grow our business and support our existing plans.
“With this new investment we are enhancing staff well-being with new ergonomic equipment and streamlined workflows to reduce strain and inefficiencies. These improvements promote healthier, more balanced work while boosting productivity, reflecting our commitment to a thriving team.”
“It’s business partners like this coming to this town that allow Cobourg to grow,” Mayor Lucas Cleveland said.
“Thank you for choosing our community, first and foremost,” Northumberland-Peterborough South MPP (and Minister of Labour, Immigration and Skills Development) David Piccini stated.
Piccini referred to his government as one that creates conditions for investment.
“The problem with lack of investment in the past means low productivity, if you are not investing in tools and machinery to keep things moving. I applaud you for making that investment,” he said, adding that the RDP/EODP is proud to support business that make this kind of commitment.
General Manager Shannon Fish-Turner said that they “constantly strive to create new positions, but also maintain our current workforce, especially right now with the introduction of new cutting-edge technology and robotics.
This kind of support “should impact and streamline process, improve overall workplace safety and keep us competitive in the market for years to come.”
The Regional Development Program has, to date, supported more than 135 projects, leveraging more than $1.9-billion in new investments and helping to create more than 3,500 jobs.
