NB 1217
Sept. 26, 2007
MIRAMICHI (CNB) - The Province of New Brunswick is assisting with the creation of up to 150 jobs in the Miramichi, Premier Shawn Graham announced today.
Graham said the provincial government will partner with the ATCON Group to support the creation of a new $21.5-million Centre of Excellence in Steel Fabrication. He was joined at the announcement by ATCON Group president and CEO Robbie Tozer, Business New Brunswick Minister Greg Byrne, Public Safety Minister and Solicitor General John Foran, and Bill Fraser, MLA for Miramichi-Bay du Vin.
"Our support of the new centre is another step in this government's plan to transform the Miramichi economy, and achieve self-sufficiency for all parts of the province," Graham said. "We have committed to help Miramichi on several fronts, from the creation of a community action committee, to appointing a seek and find officer, and supporting the improvement of Route 108. Today, we are helping an important Miramichi manufacturer create highly skilled, sustainable employment for people in this region."
ATCON is expanding its Industrial Services Fabrication Division to create the new centre of excellence. The company has entered into an agreement to construct the $150 million Deh Cho Bridge in the Northwest Territories. The centre will fabricate steel beams which will then be assembled in the Northwest Territories.
Located in Fort Providence, 300 kilometres southwest of Yellowknife, this bridge will cross the Mackenzie River and will provide a year-round land connection between the Northwest Territories and the southern provinces, replacing ferries and ice roads.
"ATCON is proving that it can compete on an international level, securing large infrastructure projects across the country," Tozer said. "We appreciate the support the government has demonstrated for our firm, and that they share our vision for this centre of excellence."
Business New Brunswick is providing ATCON with a $3,250,000 repayable loan and a $3,060,000 forgivable loan. The company will also receive $1,190,000 under the Miramichi Regional Economic Development Fund.
"New Brunswick is one of Canada's most trade active provinces, and by securing projects such as the Deh Cho Bridge, ATCON is demonstrating why we are Atlantic Canada's largest exporter," Byrne said. "ATCON can serve as an example to other businesses, proving that New Brunswick companies can indeed be world leaders."
The ATCON Group was founded in 1978 in New Brunswick and has grown to more than 2,000 employees working in Canada, the U.S. and Europe. Headquartered in the Miramichi, ATCON has a diverse group of industrial-based companies focusing on five primary sectors: heavy construction, energy, steel fabrication and machining, environmental products and services, and manufactured wood products.
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MEDIA CONTACTS: Sarah Ketcheson, communications, Business New Brunswick, 506-444-4983 or 506-470-1516; Dorothy Innes, communications & public relations, ATCON Group, 506-627-1445 or 506-624-8814.
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