CHESTERVILLE – Synagri is hoping to build on its 25 per cent market share in Eastern Ontario with the construction of a $5 million plant.
Roughly 50 people were at the Nelson Laprade Center in Chesterville this afternoon where company officials outlined details of the project.
The plant, which was under construction as of late September, is on County Road 9 just west of the village. It will feature a 30,000 sq. ft. fertilizer plant, a 7,800 sq. ft. crop protection warehouse and an 11,400 sq. ft. seed warehouse.
“Our plan is to create 10 new jobs,” said Synagri General Manager Sylvain Lavoie.
Synagri already has operations in Iroquois, Richmond, Alfred and St-Clet, Quebec.
“The Cornwall plant is already closed. We closed it last year because of the problem with the lease,” Lavoie told Cornwall Newswatch. Synagri doesn’t own the land at 42 Frontenac Street in the city’s west end. The plant closure affected two positions but “they’re (the employees) going to move here,” Lavoie said.
“It’s kind of the future of our company. We want a major plant like this so we can service our customers and also have an open depot,” he said.
As for the construction, the contractors on the job are from Cornwall and Eastern Ontario. Those include Kemptville engineering firm Kollaard Associates, Blair A.L. Construction from Moose Creek and Crysler, Coleman Construction Ltd. of Cornwall and Badger Excavating Ltd. of Chesterville.
Lavoie says the location, next to the Canadian Pacific Railway lines, will allow for easy movement of product. The rail access will also cut down on product manufacturing, storage and product transfer costs, say company officials. The GM says an agreement is already in place with CP to ship their goods.
North Dundas Mayor Eric Duncan says the new development will bring a “significant contribution to our tax base” but the township is awaiting numbers from the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation.
The plant is slated to be open by spring.
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