Prince George, BC – Northern Development Initiative Trust announced today that All-Wood Fibre Ltd. has been approved under Northern Development’s Capital Investment and Training Rebate program.
All-Wood Fibre Ltd. is expanding their capacity to grind, chip and process fibre to supply the bio-energy sector in order to meet the increased demand in areas of central and northern British Columbia heavily impacted by the mountain pine beetle epidemic.
With the support of Northern Development’s Capital Investment and Training program, All-Wood Fibre Ltd. is hiring 11 new full-time employees and purchasing new processing and transportation equipment. The additional capacity will allow All-Wood to provide fibre in any state, process it for use as hog fuel for co-generation or in the manufacture of pellets and deliver it to the end user.
“Northern Development’s program is supporting our company’s effort to expand our operations,” stated Leonard Legault, President and Chief Executive Officer, All-Wood Fibre Ltd. “With the training and equipment rebate funding, we can increase our production and further integrate supply planning, procurement and logistics into All-Wood’s suite of products and services.”
Northern Development Chair Bruce Sutherland and City of Prince George Mayor Dan Rogers congratulate All-Wood Fibre Ltd. President and Chief Executive Officer Leonard Legault, All-Wood Fibre Ltd. General Manager Gary Doucet, and new employees, Toby Jeffreys and Terri Langton.
City of Prince George Mayor Dan Rogers welcomes the job creation and capital investment by All-Wood Fibre. “Today’s announcement of new job creation in our city that takes advantage of pine beetle impacted forests is welcomed. We appreciate that the Capital Investment and Training Rebate program offered by the Northern Development Initiative Trust allows our community to attract business investment and acknowledge how important jobs in the bio-energy sector will be for this city.”
The program provides eligible businesses in export driven sectors of the economy with up to $10,000 per new job based on direct capital investment and training expenditures related to the expansion or establishment of a business. Participating businesses benefit by being able to off-set a portion of the costs of purchasing productivity increasing capital equipment, and/or training new employees. The training rebate offers the flexibility to cover any combination of training provider costs and/or on-the-job training costs for new employees. To qualify for the program, a manufacturing or processing business has to create at least two jobs.
“All-Wood Fibre recognizes the potential to utilize pine beetle infested wood throughout the region to provide fibre to the expanding bio-energy industry,” stated Northern Development Initiative Trust Chair Bruce Sutherland. “Northern Development is recognizing the value of this industry sector to the economic growth and diversification of our communities in central and northern British Columbia through the ‘Northern BC Business Advantage’ program.”
With the launch of this program in September of 2008, manufacturing and resource processing companies are creating 473 direct full-time jobs with the assistance of Northern Development’s ‘Capital Investment and Training Rebate’ Program.
To learn more about Northern Development business programs, businesses are encouraged to visit both the Northern BC Business Advantage and Capital Investment and Training Rebate sections of the Northern Development Initiative Trust website.
About Northern Development
Northern Development Initiative Trust is an independent regional economic development corporation focused on stimulating economic growth and job creation in central and northern British Columbia. Over $46.6 million in funding has been committed to 317 projects with a total project value of over $306.4 million.
For information of funding programs and economic development in central and northern British Columbia, visit: http://www.northerndevelopment.bc.ca/
Media Contacts:
Janine North
Chief Executive Officer
Northern Development Initiative Trust
Tel: 250.561.2525
Email: janine@northerndevelopment.bc.ca
Kevin Brown
Communications Manager
All-Wood Fibre Ltd.
Tel: 250.962.5005
Email: kevin@kbcommunications.ca
