A Newmarket employer is looking to relocate to Bradford.
Council approved $75,000 in Industrial Area Community Improvement Plan (IACIP) funding for Tiltco Architectural Services at 60 Industrial Rd., based on a report from Michael Disano, manager of economic development for the town, during the regular council meeting on Oct. 1.
Located in the Artesian Industrial Park, the property is zoned M1 for general employment and includes a 6,503-m2 (70,000-sq.-ft.) industrial facility that was previously owned by Royal Woodworking until they ceased operations during the pandemic. The facility has been vacant since then, according to the report.
Tiltco is hoping to renovate that facility for its business, which designs, manufactures and installs custom windows for commercial and industrial properties, with the town funds broken into two parts:
- $25,000 under Program 3: Fees and permits grant
- $50,000 under Program 4: Renovation rrant
According to estimates included in an application from Nickesh Madha, operations manger at Tiltco, the renovations considered for the application total $294,301.10 including $132,474.10 for electrical upgrades, $36,788 for dock levelling, $37,879 for security upgrades, $15,760 for machinery and $71,400 for a new mechanical lift.
Ward 6 Councillor Nickolas Harper said he approved of any initiative that will help drive business to the town’s industrial areas.
“For someone to build a business during an economic downturn, it actually provides relief that we’re able to help them get started. It’s the most vulnerable time for any business,” he said.
While helping businesses renovate existing commercial properties is all well and good, Ward 4 Councillor Joseph Giordano stressed the need to create more, especially with the pending Bradford Bypass.
“We definitely need to focus on our industrial/commercial growth,” he said.
According to the report, Tiltco’s application is part of the first of two phases of renovations expected to create a fully operational production environment for the factory workers after a capital investment of more than $1 million to include:
- Complete electrical rework in the production area to accommodate machinery
- Retrofitting and upgrading to energy-efficient LED lighting
- Installation of dock levellers
- Acquisition of new CNC machinery to increase manufacturing capacity
- Upgrades to security systems and IT infrastructure
- Renovation of employee lunch and changing rooms
- Expenses related to machine rigging, logistics, and plant relocation
- Painting and application of epoxy floors
- Purchase of a new side-shifting forklift to maximize production space and efficiency
- Creation of a mezzanine area to provide additional inventory space and production offices
- General renovations to both the first and second-floor office areas
The second phase isn’t expected to begin until after Tiltco takes occupancy in the first quarter of next year, but the company won’t be able to apply for additional funding under Program 4, as Dean Gillis, economic development officer, explained they are already receiving the maximum.
Program 3 covers as much as 50 per cent of costs for planning fees and building permits.
Program 4 covers as much as 25 per cent of costs for interior upgrades, facility refits and mechanical additions to facilities in the town’s industrial parks.
Both include a maximum of $50,000.
Once fully operational, Tiltco is expect to employ 60 people, with 20 transferring from other facilities and 40 new hires.
According to the report, the program had $473,765 worth of funding in reserve as of Jan. 1, 2024, from which $331,282.08 has already been approved for other projects, and 29,880.67 is expected to be repaid from the legacy loan program, leaving $172,363.59 available for the year, which is down to $97,363.59 after council approved this application.
