The downturn in manufacturing in Ontario has been well-documented but one Brockville company is bucking the trend.
When it comes to plastic and metal tags, Ketchum Manufacturing is an international player.
The company’s general manager Perry Swank says they started in the agriculture industry but over the last 20 years, the company has explored new markets.
“We are now into the seafood industry, we’re now into the poultry industry, we’re now into the grocery industry, we’re now into the museum industry,” Swank said.
Some of their clients include businesses like Tim Hortons, but they also make dog tags for the Ministry of Defence and for municipalities, producing more than 250-million plastic and metal tags annually.
Recently, the company held an open house to promote and build their regional market.
Perry says over 100 representatives from the private and public sector turned out to see what Ketchum does and can produce.
“They were coming in, giving us an understanding of what they do to see if we can develop any relationships, so I think from that point of view, we did a very good job.”
Swank says there are two keys to their success here as a manufacturing plant. One is the diversity of the products they offer and the second is modernizing their equipment which improves productivity.
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The company’s screenprinting products used to take hours to dry but Perry says not anymore.
“One of the first pieces that we bought was this dryer and again, that was because of efficiencies. A lot of products here that take three hours to dry, we’re able to run them through the dryer in 18 seconds.”
Ketchum moved from Ottawa to Brockville in 2005, which has also helped with the company’s success.
Brockville’s economic officer, Rob Nolan, says the city has a lot to offer including an inventory of industrial lands, affordable real estate and location.
“We’re on the 401, we’re halfway between Toronto and Montreal, with both the Ottawa and Kingston markets nearby but most importantly, you’ve also got two bridges over to the U.S.”
Ketchum does between $7- to $10 million in business annually, a number they hope to grow after their recent outreach to businesses across Southern Ontario.
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