Troy Shantz
Sarnia received a much-needed dose of good news last week when a U.S.-based manufacturer announced it was moving into the former UBE plant with 90 new jobs.
CIMC Refrigerated Trailer Co. Ltd. said it will invest $5 million in the industrial site near Sarnia Chris Hadfield Airport and assemble 2,000 refrigerated transport trailers there in 2021.
“We are pleased to be establishing our first Canadian manufacturing location in Sarnia,” said CIMC plant manager Andy Wang.
“The Sarnia-Lambton area’s highly skilled workforce, coupled with excellent proximity to major markets, makes it an ideal location to manufacture commercial transport trailers for our Canadian customers.”
Assembly jobs will be filled in the first phase of hiring in 2021, said the Sarnia-Lambton Economic Partnership. A second phase will require material handlers, forklift operators, shipping/receiving, millwrights, electrical technicians, machine maintenance, welders, health and safety, and office support personnel.
“It’s something that we really do need in our marketplace,” Bruce Hein, owner of Express Employment Professionals, said of the manufacturing jobs. Express is working with the company to fill the positions.
“I don’t think it’s any secret that Sarnia-Lambton in 20 years hasn’t really grown compared with the rest of the province,” he said. “How do we start to get on that treadmill for growth? Hopefully we can attract more of this.”
Hiring will began after new equipment is installed at the plant, a process that’s already underway, he said.
Those interested in applying for positions can call 519-336-7962 or email [email protected]
CIMC first contacted the Sarnia-Lambton Economic Partnership in 2018 as a result of its online marketing,” said chairperson Katherine Walker.
“The company was considering locations in Canada while still maintaining close proximity to its operations in Indiana, and recognized Sarnia-Lambton’s business case, including our skilled workforce, training and infrastructure.”
CIMC USA Inc. was established in 2003 and is part of a huge multinational conglomerate, China International Marine Containers (Group) Ltd.
CIMC USA operates worldwide and with a sister company produced more than 17,000 trailers last year, as well dry vans, tanks and other shipping containers.
Japanese-owned UBE Automotive opened with great fanfare in 2002 as a wheel manufacturing facility but shut down in 2009 when the auto sector took a beating.
The building was sold to an out-of-town company that intended to continue making wheels but no contracts came in. In 2012, millions of dollars worth of manufacturing equipment was auctioned off and the plant stood virtually empty.
Two local men purchased it in 2015 and a local company, JDW International Trucking and its fleet of transport trailers, began using part of the facility that same year.